Pity & Fear
by Lucinda Hailey
Summary: Who do you turn to when you have nobody? When everybody you ever trusted has been murdered by the light? You've heard potters story and taken it as gospel. There are two sides to every story. Try living the lives with Potter lovers...
1. I'm On Curfew Girl

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**Who do you turn to when everyone you ever trusted is dead? Killed by the light. Killed by Albus Dumbledore. Who do you turn to when you have no one? Do you turn to your worst enemy? Not likely when your worst enemy is Harry Come-Worship-Me Potter. Do you turn to your best friend? Kinda hard when all your friends are dead. Do you turn to your family? Again, hard when they are all murdered. Or do you turn to the most popular guy in your new school? Most likely. Because he is in the same situation. You've heard Potter's side of the story and taken it as fucking gospel. Here's the other side of the story. The one of survival, of betrayal, of pain, of brutal suffering. Of love. You think Potter had it bad? He wouldn't last a second in the place of the people within. Try living the lives within Potter lovers.**

**(A/N:- Rated M just incase. Read and Review!!)**

_CHAPTER 1:- I'm on curfew girl..._

Lucinda Marx, Tanya Fulton and Seairah Hailey were standing with the first years waiting to be sorted. Lucinda was tallish, had deep chocolate brown eyes, dark brown (more of a chocolate-y colour) wavy hair that came to the top of her hips and she was pale and slender. Seairah was almost a whole head shorter than Lucinda, had dirty blue eyes, straight, short hair that was a diarrhoea colour and she was tanned and slightly overweight. Tanya was about Lucinda's height, pale and slender with shoulder length, slightly wavy hair that had been recently dyed black and stormy blue eyes. They were a couple weeks shy of sixteen and confidence radiated from two of the three. The first year in front of them was sorted into Gryffindor. Just the idea of Gryffindor made Lucinda and Tanya want to puke.

"Which house do you want to be placed in Lucinda?" Tanya asked quietly, her stormy blue eyes sparkling with excitement and unshed tears. Tanya and Lucinda had grown significantly closer since their decision to transfer to Hogwarts, out of the hell hole they were in before.

"Let us analyse the choices. Gryffindor. Full of halfbloods, blood traitors and mudbloods. A filthy house. Hufflepuff. They are timid and jump at shadows. The older ones are up-themselves. Ravenclaw. Snobby. All reading a different book. Probably read the whole goddamn library thirty six times between them. Slytherin. Relatively uninterested. Rebellious. And Sexy. So, I would have to say Slytherin. What about you?" Lucinda glanced sideways at the girl next to her.

Her deep brown eyes rimmed with tears that Lucinda stubbornly fought back. _I _am_ stronger than this. I _will not_ be reduced to tears by a murderer. I _will_ bring him to justice. His daughter too. Fucking blood traitors the lot of them. _Lucinda thought murderous thoughts about her new headmaster for reducing her to this. No, wait, he did not reduce her to anything. It was she who reduced him to nothing more than she. That thought cheered her up immensely.

"Slytherin. Definitely. The blonde about halfway along is alright looks wise." Tanya tilted her head to emphasise her point and make sure Lucinda was looking in the right direction. Lucinda glanced in the boys' direction.

"I spose. Hey Seairah, which house do you prefer?" Lucinda called to her friend, but received no response.

"Seairah?? Earth to Seairah Jessika Jordon Hailey!" Lucinda waved her hand in front of Seairah's face. Seairah blinked, confused, focusing on Lucinda's irritated expression.

"Huh? What?"

"Which house?" Tanya asked boredom and disdain lacing her words like poison.

"Gryffindor?" Seairah asked nervously

"Eww. Cringe factor." Lucinda and Tanya said at exactly the same time. Seairah always did everything Lucinda and Tanya did. It irked Lucinda and Tanya sometimes, but they had been best friends since they were three. Tanya and Lucinda quite often preferred to do their own thing, but more often than not Seairah tagged along with one or the other. Lucinda and Tanya respected each other's space; Seairah didn't know the meaning of the word. Tanya and Lucinda were as close as sisters. The events of the summer just passed had cemented that closeness even more. Tanya was sorted first. She was placed in Slytherin. Tanya was thrilled, Lucinda was overjoyed. You see, Lucinda had a secret. A secret so secret that Lucinda had told only Tanya. This secret ensured Lucinda's placement in Slytherin.

"Marx, Lucinda!" The head of Gryffindor called Lucinda. Lucinda unconsciously shrank away from the older woman as she passed. This grabbed the attention of the whole Slytherin house. The oversized tatty hat had barely touched a hair on Lucinda's head before it opened its 'mouth' and screamed "SLYTHERIN!!" hurriedly.

Tanya jumped up and screamed as Lucinda walked over to join the table. She stood at the end of the long table for a few seconds, scrutinising every single face that was turned toward her. She chose a seat at the end of the table, a couple of seats away from the nearest person. Tanya slid down the bench to join her. Lucinda had always been a private person and with the exception of Seairah, Tanya, two other close friends (one of which was dead) and her man of the month she rarely kept much company. She found most girls tiresome and annoying.

"Hailey, Seairah!" The head of the despised house called. Seairah walked to the stool confidently.

"GRYFFINDOR!!" The hat screamed after ten minutes. Seairah waved at Lucinda. The table yelled various victorious phrases. Lucinda sighed. She hated that house with almost every fibre of her being already and it was only her first night, but she'd grown up with Seairah, it didn't sit well with her to just abandon her friend like that.

Within minutes of Seairah being sorted, Lucinda and Tanya were surrounded by a dozen chattering girls. Lucinda picked at her food with the makings of a serious migraine pounding in her left temple. Tanya pretended to be interested in the conversation while staring at the enchanted ceiling.

"Are you okay Lu?" Tanya asked randomly.

"Yeah, just got a serious migraine. I think I'm gonna go to bed. Tell me what I miss yeah?" Tanya nodded her head and Lucinda rose. She extricated herself from the gossiping girls and left the great hall. She then realised that she had no clue where she was going and sat at the base of the wall, next to the doors of the great hall.

Seairah was launched upon by a girl with fuzzy brown hair as soon as she sat at the Gryffindor table. The two were then joined by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Seairah was falling asleep with the boring conversation. She glanced over at the Slytherin table. Lucinda and Tanya had gained a dozen friends instantly. Lucinda was like that, everybody was instantly drawn to her. Tanya was nice to your face, but look out if she doesn't like you. Your social life will be ruined instantly. However, if they are both against you, not only will you never have any friends, you will be practically invisible to everyone around you. You will never be noticed. AT ALL. EVER.

Lucinda had decided to wait for a Slytherin to come out so she could ask them where she was going. Nobody had except her. She was just falling asleep when someone sat next to her.

"You're Lucinda Marx aren't you?" A thoroughly male voice asked. She nodded without opening her eyes.

"I'm Draco Malfoy." The voice introduced itself. Lucinda nodded again.

"Draco is Latin for Dragon isn't it?" Lucinda asked, her eyes still closed. Lyrics started forming in her mind.

"Umm, yeah, it is. You speak much Latin?"

"Enough. You?"

"Not much. What school did you transfer from?"

"Neesha Presley's Academy of Magic."

"I know it. Why'd you leave?"

"Headmistress is a muggle-loving bitch. Teachers are all severely fucked in the head." Lucinda opened her eyes and glared at the wall on the opposite side of the hall.

"Yeah, the teachers are pretty fucked up here too."

"Teachers in general are fucked up."

"Yeah. Wasn't that your friend who got put in Gryffindor?"

"Yep. She wanted to be placed there though so it's no biggy."

"I spose. People are going to come out of the hall pretty soon. Wanna get going?" Draco gave her his smirk. She looked him over. _He isn't half bad..._she thought.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." Lucinda imitated his smirk.

"That's my smirk." Draco stood and offered his hand.

"Whatever." Lucinda took Draco's hand and he pulled her up. They walked to the common room, taking the most direct route, chatting about nothing yet everything. Lucinda was not one to make unnecessary conversation, and she sensed that Draco wasn't either. Granted he got the ball rolling by asking her a few questions, but he was genuinely interested. She was the new girl, the hottest topic on everyone's lips, along with Tanya of course, and he was the first person she'd talked to all night apart from that Gryffindor. He'd already forgotten the other girl's name, as had many others. The other one was hereafter known as that Gryffindor. Tanya and Lucinda were the only names they could remember of the three.

"Pride" Draco spoke the password. They travelled into the common room in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence like you get with most guys, but a companionable silence. A comfortable silence. Neither felt the need to fill it with mindless chatter.

The common room was extravagant but plain at the same time. Lucinda couldn't decide which it was. The walls were a soft emerald green, the furniture black and mostly leather. The fireplace had fine intricate carvings laid into the stone. There was a fire roaring in the grate.

"Wow." Was all Lucinda could say. Draco chuckled at her expression.

"I'm guessing you didn't have an elaborate common room at your old school."

"We didn't have common rooms at all. Or houses. We had a girls' dorm for each year and a boys' dorm for each year. I'm guessing you've never known anything different to this?"

"No. How did you—"

"Guess? Easy, I know your type."

"My type? What is that exactly?"

"Rich boys. Boys who are used to extravagant surroundings and exquisite food and clothes."

"Believe me, my life has been far from easy."

"I know. I know of your father."

"You know of my wealth then."

"No. I was guessing when I said you were a rich boy. We were forced to study and memorise the profiles of each powerful death eater. Your father was amongst Voldemort's inner circle before he fell."

"Wow, good guess. It's scary how you say that so casually."

"I don't really judge people on their family or wealth. I judge them more on their personality and how they treat me, their friends and the people around them."

"Sweet. I guess you shouldn't get too close to me then."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say I'm not your type and leave it there." Draco was staring sullenly into the fire.

"Okay. I will prove you wrong though. What's the time?" Lucinda asked. Draco glanced around for the clock.

"9.30"

"Why aren't people here yet?"

"The feast must have gone longer than usual." Draco had gone back to staring into the flames of the fire.

"Okay. Well, I'm tired as, so I'm gonna go up to bed." Lucinda said, turning towards the staircase labelled 'girls'. She was stopped by a cool hand on her wrist.

"Goodnight." Draco said, kissing her lightly and swiftly on her cheek.

"Sweet dreams." Lucinda said softly before turning and taking the staircase two steps at a time.

"Sweet dreams." Draco whispered to her retreating back.

When Lucinda reached the solace of her dorm room she took her plain black robe off, dumped it on the floor and climbed into bed. She pulled the sleeves of her white turtle neck down over her hands. It was colder here than she was used to. She remained fully clothed, unable to bring herself to change into her pyjamas. When she was snuggled down into her blankets she lifted her hand to the place on her cheek where Draco had kissed her. She had never felt that electricity with a guy before. Just as Lucinda was contemplating getting up and running a couple of laps around the common room to warm up a bit, the other girls in her dorm entered, chatting excitedly and loudly about some guy or other. A girl addressed her. She stuck her head out from under the covers.

"Yes?" She asked, looking at the six other girls innocently.

"I saw Draco follow you out. Are you interested in him or something?" A girl with pitch black hair and a face like a pug asked her.

"Umm, well actually he came out randomly and he's quite good looking."

"Yes, we know Draco's hot, but are you interested?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business. Umm...?"

"Pansy. It is my business because every girl in this dorm had tried to get with him, but each has failed miserably. We were thinking that it's high time our new girl had a try."

"I've been here a whole of four hours."

"Five actually."

"My point exactly. Tanya's new too you know. However, I will suss him out, see if he's my type and I'll get back to you." Lucinda buried her head once more and feigned sleep. _Apparently the girls at this school are easier to fool than those at my old school_ Lucinda thought. It was the last thought to pass through her mind as a sense of numbness claimed her.

The next morning she was shaken 'awake' and had a Slytherin uniform thrown at her. She turned her back to her roommates and changed. The other girls gaped at her. Her body was practically perfect, except for its paleness. Her legs were long and slender, her stomach flat and toned, her breasts a little larger than the rest of them and even just out of bed her hair was perfect, falling in soft but defined curls. Her hair had been falling in soft waves the night before. She turned around to face her room mates and they gaped even more. Even with her mascara and eyeliner all smudged under her eyes from sleep she was still beautiful. She wore her uniform like it was merely a prop. The top three buttons of her blouse were undone, showing just the tiniest bit of cleavage, her tie was tied loosely and her skirt came to about mid thigh. In short, they were sure that she could have any man she wanted with just a look. Tanya was no where in sight. Lucinda had a fair idea where she was and was confident that she would see her in first period.

She glanced at the clock and decided there was just enough time to grab a piece of toast and her schedule before classes started for the day. As she ran down the stairs, she remembered she needed her book bag, so she sprinted back up the stairs, took her book bag from the floor and sprinted back down the stairs and out into the corridor, up the dungeon steps to the entrance hall and slid to a stop behind Draco Malfoy.

"Excuse me." She whispered as she reached around Draco's shoulders to get a piece of toast.

"Morning. Sleep well?" Draco asked, conversationally.

"Very. Yourself?" Lucinda was glancing around the hall anxiously to see if everyone already had their schedules. They did.

"Yeah, it was alright."

"That's good. Do you have your schedule yet?"

"Umm yeah, I do. Snape will have yours. He's the one with the greasy black hair and hooked nose up at the teachers table. Go ask him."

"Ok, will do."

"See you in first?"

"Maybe. See ya later Draco." Lucinda darted up the aisle between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables to the staff table where she spied the teacher she was looking for easily. It wasn't hard.

"Professor?" Lucinda asked, approaching the formidable looking man.

"What do you want Miss Marx?" He snapped without looking up.

"I was wondering if you had my schedule." Snape tossed it across the table at her as if telling her to get out of his sight asap. She took the hint and walked slowly back down the aisle, nibbling on her toast, reading her schedule for the day. She had double Potions first, then a free, then Charms, then Transfiguration then Defence Against the Dark Arts. _Could my day get any worse?_ She asked herself miserably. _Though tomorrow is mostly free's all day. Although, on the plus side I know Tanya will be in all my classes._

Lucinda arrived in the dungeons a few minutes before everyone else. She chose a table in the very back. She put her bag on the floor next to her chair, folded her arms on the table, placed her head against her arms and closed her eyes. She intended to nap for a few minutes.

"You know, it's not polite to fall asleep before the class even begins." A very familiar voice drawled.

"And did you know that there's nothing more unpleasant than me when I'm sleep deprived?" Lucinda countered.

"Hmm, I'm not intending to find that out."

"So don't interrupt my nap."

"Sorry."

Lucinda turned her head to the side and opened her eyes. She was looking straight into the depths of Draco's silvery orbs. Snape entered the Dungeon at exactly that moment and announced that as he was feeling particularly nice, they were going to do two hours of potions theory.

"Don't be. I was done anyway." Lucinda lifted her head to glance at the board that was automatically filling up with notes then rested it back on her arms.

"See? This is why I sit up the back, then copy Blaise's notes later."

"Who?"

"A close mate. You can copy mine after I've copied his. My handwriting is much more legible than his."

"I'm sure. But thanks. Potions was my best subject at my old school."

"Potions is my best subject."

"Interesting. I think I'm going to go back to sleep now. Wake me up at the end of this two hour torture?"

"Sure. If you will wake me up."

"I think we need a third party to wake us both up."

"Probably. I'm sure Snape will do that."

"Most likely. I'm so glad I have a free next. I can go and lie in the sun and sleep."

"Under the pretence of studying of course."

"Of course." Draco chuckled to himself as Lucinda got comfortable on the table after arranging all her stuff to make it appear as if she was working. The dungeon door flew open at the exact moment when Lucinda looked convincingly asleep. A very sexy looking Tanya stood in the doorway.

"Miss Fulton. I assume you have a good reason for being so incredibly late on your first day?" Snape had turned red.

"Yes I do sir." Tanya stacked her things neatly on the other side of Lucinda, as each table had the capacity for three people to sit comfortably side by side.

"Lets hear it then Fulton."

"I was hunting sir." Lucinda shifted in her seat at the mention of hunting. Tanya smiled softly at Lucinda's reaction. Lucinda had looked in the mirror that morning and discovered that her brown irises were rimmed with red. She felt incredibly thirsty.

"Of course you were. Copy these notes Fulton." Draco spent the double period sketching various objects. He drew everything from a tree to an owl, from a mountain to a dragon. At the end of the double period Draco gently shook Lucinda's shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered open and her deep brown eyes focused on Draco's face.

"Hey" Lucinda said tiredly, raising her head off her arms.

"Hey. Good sleep?" Draco began packing up Lucinda's stuff for her. He slipped one of his drawing of a dragon in to her bag with her Potions book.

"Mmm, kind of. Fairly uncomfortable, but it made up the sleep I needed." Lucinda stretched.

"That's good."

"Yeah I guess. What are you going to do in your free?" Lucinda asked as they left the dungeons. Tanya walking quietly beside them.

"Copy Blaise's notes. Hang out in the common room. I'm not in the mood to be out on the grounds with the Gryffindors."

"Eww, Gryffindors."

"I've never heard a new student dislike Gryffindor so soon after starting here."

"Mm, well, I have my reasons. See ya later then Draco." Lucinda headed out onto the grounds while Draco went to find Blaise. Tanya disappeared behind a statue, relaxing. Lucinda passed a group of babbling Gryffindors who paused their conversation to send insults at her. She ignored them. She had more pressing matters on her mind than a bunch of immature Gryffindors. She left her bag near the broom shed and jogged out onto the quidditch pitch. She needed to fly.

"Accio Broom" Lucinda muttered. She waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, after about ten minutes her broom came flying straight to her. She mounted and took off around the quidditch pitch. She didn't notice the Slytherin sitting in the stands, watching her fly. She flew at break neck speeds around and around the pitch for half an hour. When she dismounted she was sweating slightly. The Slytherin girl approached her.

"Hi. You're Lucinda Marx right?" A voice sounded behind Lucinda as she picked up her bag. Lucinda turned to face the speaker. She was about two inches taller than Lucinda, sturdily built with short brown hair and light brown eyes. Lucinda recognised her from her dorm. She wondered if anyone would miss the girl standing before her. She could have slapped herself as that thought ran through her mind.

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Antonia Van Asperen. I'm in your dorm."

"Yeah, I recognised you, I just never asked your name. Or anyone's name in our dorm actually." Knowing the girls name helped Lucinda clear the blurred line for a minute.

"Well, anyway. I'm the captain of our quidditch team, and I was wondering if you're going to try out for the team." _Yes. Somebody would definitely miss her...damn. _Lucinda was having trouble controlling her thoughts, then heard Tanya's laugh in her head. _GET OUT!!!_ Lucinda screamed at her closest friend in the world with her mind.

"I was contemplating it. I was the seeker on my team at my old school."

"That was you? Nice. We already have a seeker, but I'm sure I can fit you in somewhere."

"I can play any position, I was just put in seeker because I was the fastest flyer on the team."

"Ok. That's good. We need a couple of chasers and a keeper. Ours graduated last year."

"Bummer. Anyway, I have to get going. See ya later." Lucinda turned on her heel and walked briskly back to the castle. She reached the doors as Draco was coming out of them. _Can I never escape temptation these days? Jesus...wait, he was yummy...no. bad thought. Bad Lucinda. Bad._ Lucinda struggled to hear her own mental voice above the noise of everyone elses. _Why the fuck are you berating yourself you dope?_ Tanya's mental voice rang clearly through her mind. _None of your business. Butt out girly._ Lucinda's mental voice carried a warning. _Yes ma'am._ Lucinda felt Tanya withdraw from her mind.

"Crap, sorry." Lucinda said as she ran straight into Draco.

"My fault. Where did you get off to?"

"The quidditch pitch."

"Do you play?"

"Yeah. But I needed to fly. And now I need a shower. I'll see you at lunch." Lucinda jogged across the entrance hall, through the common room and into the girls' dorm bathroom. She ran the shower and stepped under the steaming water.

Two minutes later Draco walked into the common room and threw himself onto the black leather couch. He had just been talking to Antonia and she had said that Lucinda was a good candidate for chaser if she flies as good in the trials as she did out on the pitch. Draco was pulled out his thoughts when he heard sweet singing. He followed the sound up the girls' staircase and to their bathroom door. The door was locked. The sound was definitely coming from in there. Draco pressed his ear to the door and listened. The sound was lulling him to sleep. He slid to the foot of the door and relaxed against the door, listening to the girl's sweet, sweet voice. The water in the shower stopped running, she kept singing. Three minutes later the door opened and Draco fell flat on his back. He opened his eyes and came face to face with a very amused Lucinda. She had smelt him as soon as he had entered the dorm.

"Do you make a habit of sitting against bathroom doors?" Lucinda asked, amusement dancing in her eyes. Draco scrambled up, regaining some semblance of the dignity he had lost when she caught him listening at the door.

"No. I was just listening to your singing. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Okay. Don't let me catch you next time. Walk with me to lunch?"

"Sure. What was that song you were singing?"

"China Roses. My mother used to sing it to me as a lullabye when ever I'd had a bad dream when I was an infant. Those were the only times she was ever around."

"If I may be so bold, what do you mean?"

"You may. My grandmother practically raised me. She was more my mother than my mother was."

"What about your father?"

"What father? He left before I was born."

"I'm sorry." Draco said as they walked down the Slytherin table to the end seat that Lucinda and Tanya had occupied the night before. The Slytherins let them be.

"It's fine. I was only at home until I was seven. Then I was only home for three months of every year."

"You went away to school at seven?" Draco picked up a roll and started nibbling on the end of it.

"Yep. NPMA came to collect me as soon as my magical talents started showing. It was the same for everyone. Some were seven, some were eight. There were even a rare few who were six."

"And your mother had no problem with that?"

"Not at all. My mother spent her time marrying and divorcing rich men. She had no time for me. I was more a burden. When I went away to school I was no longer her problem. I hadn't been her problem since I was old enough to have baby formula instead of breast milk."

"What a screwed up childhood."

"Tell me about it. And in the three months that I was home I would spend a grand total of three days with my mother. I learned pretty early on to take care of myself. Look out for myself, because no body else is going to."

"What about your grandmother?"

"She died last year. So I transferred out of the shit hole I'd grown up in. The only reason I stayed as long as I did was because my grandmother wanted me to and I loved her. She'd been the only one to look out for me. I figured it was the least I could do."

"I'd have gotten out of there too. It's not a nice place."

"What do you know of NPMA?" Lucinda asked, laying a couple of pieces of roast beef on her roll and taking a measured bite out of it. It turned to ash in her mouth.

"My cousin Lilly went there. One day she wrote me about all the shit that they put her through. The next morning we got an owl off the school informing us that she was dead."

"That was your cousin? I mean, we knew she came from an influential family that had been around for generations, but I never connected the dots. Even when your letter arrived that morning for her..."

"Who took it?"

"What do you mean?"

"The letter. Who took it from the owl?"

"I did. What does that matter?"

"Did you read it?"

"I glimpsed over it. We all shared our mail in our dorm. That made it harder for the teachers to fabricate something against us. It looked personal, so I hid it."

"Do you still have it?"

"No. I buried it with her."

"Thank god for that."

"Why? What was so important that you wrote it down instead of waiting the couple of days for summer?"

"If I told you you'd be killed. Was Lilly happy?"

"As happy as she could be in that hell hole. I found she was happiest when sitting at a piano, or writing. She composed quite a bit. It was her escape I suppose."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my escape was quidditch. I pushed myself to be the best seeker the school had ever seen, to make a point. But flying relaxes me. I can easily gain more perspective on the back of a broom. There were often times when I would study flying around the quidditch pitch. Lilly would yell out questions to me and I'd answer straight away. It was the same for her when she was sitting at a piano or writing one of her many stories. She wrote one about you. Did you know?"

"No, I didn't know. I'm glad she found an escape."

"Rumour had it she died at the piano in the foyer of the school."

"Do you know how she died?"

"The school didn't tell you?"

"No."

"They didn't tell us either. We only had the numerous, disgusting rumours that would occasionally reach our ears. Seairah, Tanya, Rosemary and I were depressed for ages after she died. Then my grandmother died and Tanya and I decided to transfer out. Seairah tagged along. As per usual. Poor Rosemary. We left her all on her own. I feel so bad."

"You were friends with my cousin?"

"She was one of my best friends."

"Why did Seairah transfer out with you?"

"I wasn't the same after Lilly died. Neither was Tanya really. And then my grandmother died and I didn't eat, didn't speak. I withdrew completely. I just kept thinking first my best friend, then the only person in the world who ever cared about what happened to me. Why is this happening to me? Why should I live when everyone I care about is dying? Tanya was going through the same thing, but her entire family. Seairah often heard us crying, heard me screaming. Once she came down to the quidditch pitch with some food to find us flying round and round I was screaming my lungs out and crying so hard I couldn't see. Tanya had tears flowing down her cheeks like a river. If she hadn't called out to me and Tanya we would have flown head first into the ground and we all knew it. So she transferred out to keep an eye on us, make sure that us transferring out wasn't our way of being alone long enough to kill ourselves." Lucinda was staring at the table top, tearing what was left of her roll into tiny pieces.

"Oh my god. Lucinda, I know where your coming from, but surely you know that death is not the answer to anything?"

"I do. But at the time I was so depressed I couldn't have cared less. They reckoned Lilly killed herself. The kids at school. But she wasn't like that. She'd found her escape before I'd found mine. She said it was because she hadn't been in the hell hole as long as I had. She transferred in when she was eleven. I was voted the most likely to commit suicide in school. They took that vote at the end of my first year there."

"I don't believe she had it in her to kill herself. And I don't think you do either." Draco placed his hand over Lucinda's, causing her to look up at the handsome young man sitting opposite her. Lucinda opened her mouth to reply and the bell for the end of lunch rang through the castle and grounds.

"Charms. Goodie." Lucinda said sarcastically. She left with Draco, without a backward glance. Or a glance at the Gryffindor table.

As Charms was a practical lesson, Lucinda paired up with Draco and Tanya. Flitwick informed them that the partners or groups they had just chosen was the person they would be paired with for the rest of the year. Lucinda and Tanya had already covered the lesson in NPMA so she spent the hour giving Draco tips on perfecting the charm. Seairah was paired with Hermione Granger. The Golden Trio had become The Golden Quartet.

Lucinda sat next to Draco in Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Tanya had elected not to take those subjects as she wasn't going to need them anytime soon. Tanya met them outside the DADA room and Lucinda and Tanya exchanged looks of apprehension that Draco couldn't place. As they were entering the great hall for dinner, a group of Gryffindors cornered them just outside the doors.

"Ah! If it isn't the Golden Fuck Tarts plus one! To what do we owe this unfortunate displeasure?" Draco drawled, fingering his wand. Lucinda laughed quietly. Weasley began to draw his wand on her. Draco, Tanya and Lucinda had all sent different curses at Ron before he had time to completely draw his wand. Weasley's skin turned purple, his hair green, he inflated to gigantic proportions and puss filled boils covered his entire body.

"What did you do!?" Potter yelled at them.

"None of your business." Lucinda taunted.

"Then tell me how to put him back to normal!" Granger screeched.

"I don't think so." Draco drawled. Granger slapped him hard. Leaving a bright red hand print on his left cheek. Before Granger had time to lower her hand from the slap, Lucinda had seized the mudbloods wrist and squeezed gently. The bones beneath Lucinda's hand snapped instantly. Granger screamed in agony. She then broke Granger's arm in three places. Granger was in hysterics, tears running freely down her face. Tanya laughed softly. Seairah looked like she was going to be sick. Draco grabbed Lucinda's hand and pushed past Scarhead and Seairah. _Note to self: create a nickname for the new one._ Draco thought as he, Tanya and Lucinda took their seats at the end of the table. McGonagall stood from her chair at the staff table and exited the hall furiously. Lucinda pointed this out to Draco and they burst out laughing. Lucinda shot a few colour change curses randomly at the other three tables and it caused chaos. The students were blaming their friends and cursing each other, but completely ignoring the Slytherins. The whole table was roaring with laughter at the hilarious outcomes of some of the curses that the students were using on each other. Lucinda, Tanya and Draco slipped out of the hall undetected in the chaos and destruction.

"That was bloody hilarious!" Draco said once they were a fair distance away and he was able to breathe again. Lucinda was still laughing.

"Did you see the look on Longbottom's face when he started growing a hot pink beard?!"

"What colour was that that you changed his face to?" Tanya smiled in the opposite direction and slipped off into the darkness.

"A mix between lavender and a light puce." This made Draco crack up. He was clutching his sides when they heard footsteps coming towards them. They exchanged horrified expressions and Draco dragged Lucinda into the closest broom cupboard. The cupboard was tiny. Draco and Lucinda were pushed up against each other just to fit. They heard the footsteps pass their cupboard, pause, then continue down another corridor.

"Who the hell?" Draco breathed.

"Not a clue." Lucinda breathed back, trying not to move too much. She was sandwiched between Draco's quidditch-perfected body and the stone wall. Granted he was sandwiched between her quidditch-perfected body and the wall as well.

"We are deep within the dungeon corridors. No one would be down here—" Lucinda cut Draco off by pressing her lips to his. She had heard what he had not—the footsteps returning, and he was about to give them away. Draco kissed her back for a moment before realising who he was kissing. He pulled back with a puzzled look on his face, then he heard the steps and his mouth formed a perfect 0. The steps passed again and Lucinda relaxed.

"No one would be down here unless they were looking for something. Or someone." Lucinda finished Draco's sentence.

"Exactly. Do you think whoever it is is looking for us?" Draco looked slightly worried.

"Probably not. Although, no one in their right mind would be in this far."

"We are."

"My point exactly."

"I don't get it." Draco had a confusion swimming in his gorgeous eyes even though his very handsome face portrayed irritation. _He is so adorable_ Lucinda thought. _She is so beautiful_ Draco thought. Lucinda listened carefully and when she heard nothing, pulled Draco from the cupboard and sprinted to the Slytherin common room. Lucinda lay down comfortably on the floor in front of the hearth and Draco placed his body gingerly on the couch. He had been having unexplained pain course through his body unexpectedly since the third week of the summer holidays. Draco fell asleep without a word. Lucinda sat up when she heard Tanya come padding down the stairs.

"Can't sleep?" Tanya asked sarcastically.

"No. What the hell is with you?? Hunting??? You DON'T HUNT!!!"

"Lucinda. Calm down. You might wake the mortal." Something clicked in Lucinda's head.

"Oh my fucking god."

"My god too."

"Same guy??"

"Yes. I'd been keeping tabs on him since you and he caught me unaware on night. I'd become careless."

"When?"

"Summer."

"BASTARD!! Oh well. At least we have leverage now. We have a majority. Go back upstairs. The girls might get suss if they wake up and you're not there." Lucinda curled up in a ball and feigned sleep.

Draco woke the next morning with a kink in his neck. He had always been very quiet when waking up. Draco ran through his schedule for the day in his head. _Free, Arithmancy, Free, Lunch, Free, Divination, Potions, Dinner, Detention. Another brilliant day. Maybe I'll ask Lucinda to train with me this morning..._Draco thought. He looked over to the subject of his dreams the previous night and nearly laughed out loud. She looked so cute curled up in a fetal position with her hair flung wildly across her pale face. He glanced up at the clock, 8.30. His first free for the day was halfway over. He wasn't going to wake Lucinda up. He went across to the kitchens and took a stack of food back to the common room. When he got there Lucinda was waking up silently and stretching out. She saw him and smiled.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Draco said, setting down the tray of food.

"Morning.." Lucinda stated hopefully.

"And what were you dreaming about last night?" Draco smirked playfully.

"I dreamt you murdered me in my sleep. Why? I've got a migraine from sleeping on the floor."

"Just wondering. You get a migraine from sleeping on the floor?"

"Yeah, but only when my head's against the floor."

"Oh, that reminds me. Blaise told me to ask you if you wanted to come play truth or dare with us tonight."

"I would, but I have something to do after dinner. Sorry."

"No, we play after curfew."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises."

"It's a room on the seventh floor that you can't find unless you know where it is. I know where it is because I discovered it."

"If you found it, how do you know others haven't."

"Because the headmaster found it one night in a similar fashion to me, but when he went back to find it again the next morning, he couldn't. If the old goat couldn't find it the second time, then nobody else can."

"You did."

"Yes, but I am exceptional."

"Yes. Yes you are. Can Tanya come too??"

"Ah yes..I can't see why not."

"I'll ask her later."

"Has anyone ever told you, you are a weird one?"

"You don't know the half of it."

"I will find out your secrets. Tonight. We are playing a special kind of truth or dare."

"Should I be scared?" Lucinda's stomach growled audibly.

"Probably. What's your schedule like today?" Draco picked up a croissant and Lucinda moved closer to the lounge to scavenge some food. It felt like she was eating dirt. She knew she needed to feed properly. One day and two nights in this place had completely ruined her self control.

"Free, Free, Free, Lunch, Free, Ancient Runes, Potions, Dinner, My thing, Truth or Dare. You?" Lucinda picked up a piece of toast.

"Free, Arithmancy, Free, Lunch, Free, Divination, Potions, Dinner, Relaxation, Truth or Dare. Got any plans for your free's?" Draco asked, taking another bite out of his croissant.

"Umm, yeah. Copy your potions notes, hang out in the student lounge, skip lunch and go for a fly. You?"

"Watch you copy my potions notes, skip lunch and get in some relaxed quidditch practice before Antonia starts training the hell into us."

"Normally it's the hell _out of_ you."

"Yeah, but Antonia trains us so hard that it get us so riled up and so pissed off that we're like demons straight from hell when we're faced against some other poor house."

"Poor opposing quidditch teams. By the way, you better be prepared to roll over for a girl. Release the snitch today in our free before lunch and we'll see who can catch it first."

"I'll roll over for a girl anytime. In my room, not on the quidditch pitch. Seeker is my position. Back off." Draco snapped playfully.

"I can play anything. But I'm fast. That's all I'm saying. I'm not after your position, I just want to see what the standard of seekers are like here."

"Pretty low actually. I'm the best."

"I'm sure. How is it that Gryffindor manage to beat you every time you come up against each other then?"

"Keep out of it."

"It's okay. I'm here now. And I WON'T roll over for anyone on the quidditch pitch. They want a demon from hell? I'll give them one."

"I'm sure you will. Didn't you take Arithmancy?"

"No. I'm not really an Arithmancy type of girl. Come find me in the student lounge after Arithmancy and bring the snitch. I'll give you a run for your money."

"How much do you wanna bet?"

"Twenty galleons. Take it or leave it."

"That's half my daily allowance!"

"Take it or leave it."

"Shake on it." Draco said, sticking his hand out. Lucinda shook his hand just as the clock tolled the start of second hour lessons.

Draco sprinted out the portrait hole as students filed in. Lucinda looked around and realised Draco had left his potions notes on the table. She picked them up and added them to her book bag. She then had a shower, dressed in a figure hugging emerald green off the shoulder t-shirt, jeans and joggers and set off to the student lounge. Tanya had disappeared again. The student lounge was just off the side of the entrance hall. It had cream coloured lounges, little mahogany study tables with matching chairs and an entertainment system. Lucinda sauntered over to the DVD collection lining one wall. She picked out The Da Vinci Code and put it into the DVD player for background noise. She had done a film study on it at her last school. Lucinda sat at one of the little study tables and spread her stuff all over the table as a deterrent to the other students in the room. Most were Gryffindor anyway. An hour later, she was so absorbed in pretending to be absorbed in what she was doing that she didn't notice the gorgeous blonde drop into the seat opposite her. It wasn't until he cleared his throat, startling her, that she looked up.

"Oh, hey Draco. How was Arithmancy?" Lucinda asked, packing up her stuff in less time that it had taken her to spread it out.

"Boring. As usual. Are you ready?" Draco asked, eyeing her clothing choice.

"Almost. I have to quickly run back to the common room. I'll meet you at the doors?"

"Sure. See you in ten minutes." Draco rose gracefully from his chair.

"I'll be five." Lucinda rose and sprinted back to her dorm room. She burst through the door, startling the five occupants and began ransacking her trunk, clothes went flying in every direction.

"What _are_ you looking for?" One of the girls said disdainfully as a skirt hit her in the face. She had wheat blonde hair, pouty lips and eyes a little too large for her face.

"My black thong. Have you seen it?" Lucinda asked distractedly. Completely forgetting that the bookworm, Scarhead, and her ex-best friend had spread the news of the 'fuck off you stupid Gryffindors, we're fucking' incident.

"No I haven't. Why in merlins pants would I be looking in your trunk?" Lucinda suddenly remembered the girl's name. It was Hyacinth Rommel. She was annoying as and had this whiny voice that drove most of them up the wall within minutes of her opening her stupid pouty mouth. This was one of those times. Lucinda tossed aside her white version of the shirt she was wearing and saw the object she desired. _There you are you little bugger_ She thought happily.

"I have no idea why you would be in Merlin's pants, but I assure you I don't want to know. Never mind, I found it." Lucinda slipped her jeans off and swapped the black lacy knickers for the black thong. It was at this moment that the five other girls that occupied the room noticed Lucinda had a tattoo. It was a midnight black butterfly with 'Lucinda' written in blood red cursive underneath it. The butterfly was on her lower back, closer to her hips than her ass. Her room mates were impressed. And slight gossips. The majority of the school would know about the tattoo by lunch. Six minutes later Lucinda was dashing across the entrance hall towards Draco, broom in hand.

"You said you'd be five minutes." Draco said, pouting slightly.

"Surely you didn't think I'd stand you up?" Lucinda asked, faking injured shock.

"I was contemplating coming to find you."

"The stupid girls in my dorm insisted on conversation. I'm sorry." Lucinda said, taking his hand in her own and pulling him out into the sun. They walked briskly across the grounds to the quidditch pitch, hand in hand. The Gryffindors who were out on the grounds had a field day.

"So what did you have to go back to the common room for?" Draco called as Lucinda bent over her broom, showing both her thong and tattoo clearly, while Draco was walking back from the Slytherin change rooms with his broom.

"Ah, nothing. Turns out I forgot to pack it." Lucinda quickly lied. She didn't like lying, she was too good at it, and she didn't want to make a habit of lying to Draco. He was nice, and cute to boot.

"Right. So you were already wearing that thong?" Draco asked as he stopped next to her. He had a triumphant look in his eyes. As if he knew he'd caught her in her lie.

"Umm, well no. I find it's easier to fly in a thong. Plus it distracts the opposition when you fly in front of them."

"I can see why. Nice tattoo by the way."

"Thanks. I got it done last year. After my grandmother died, but before I transferred."

"Always had a thing for midnight and blood?"

"Surprisingly yes. Now, I've noticed something about you." Lucinda swiftly changed the topic. She had survived NPMA without revealing how wealthy her family was, how supportive of the dark lord her family was and quite how old her family name was. Also she had concealed her mother's betrayal of pureblood protocol as if her life depended on it. Which it kind of does.

"And what's that?" Draco asked dismissively as he mounted his broom and kicked off from the ground. Lucinda caught up to him easily.

"You always wear long sleeves. I haven't seen you in a T-shirt yet. Meaning you're either permanently cold or you're a death eater. Which one?" Lucinda looked at him. He looked back at her.

"I'm a death eater. But no one knows, so can you keep it to yourself?" Draco whispered as he sped up. He hadn't released the snitch yet.

"Of course. On one condition." Lucinda caught him easily yet again. Draco was getting fairly irritated at the ease with which she flew. He had never seen a girl so relaxed on a broom. Nor so natural a flyer. Most of the girls on his team had trained for hours at a time, sometimes all night, to get to where they were, yet Lucinda was better than all of them combined and it didn't even look like she was trying. She was even laughing. Granted it was at the expression on his face, but he didn't care.

"What's the condition?" Draco asked, eager to keep his deadly secret a secret at all costs.

"Don't mention my name to any of the death eaters."

"Why not?" Draco was definitely confused.

"Because I have a past. A past I wish to keep hidden."

"You're running from someone?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Swear to me that you won't tell my secret though."

"I swear on your life."

"My life?! Why my life?!"

"I don't care about my life. I have absolutely no sense of self preservation. However, I care about your life. So it makes sense to swear on the life I care about. It makes sure I wont break it." Lucinda explained her reasoning and the only part of it that sunk into Draco's brain was that she cared about his life.

"Why do you care about my life?" Draco asked bluntly.

"Because you were nice to me on the first night here. You are nice to me. You're the first guy I've met who's able to be nice to a girl."

"Oh. Okay. Makes sense."

"Okay, now that we've come to the conclusion that my logic isn't as wacked as it sounds, can you release the snitch? This is our fifteenth lap of the pitch in two minutes." Lucinda frowned slightly at Draco to emphasise her point. He didn't reply, he just let the snitch go. They gave the snitch a five minute head start, then circled in opposite directions looking for the snitch. An hour and a half later Lucinda spotted it hovering near the centre goal post at the opposite end of the field. She pushed her broom into a break neck speed. Draco, who had been keeping one eye on her, saw her lurch forward in a burst of speed that he could only attribute to the fact that she had seen the snitch first. He pushed his broom to it's top speed, pulling into line with her. She laughed and accelerated, reaching out her hand and grasping the small fluttering ball.

She landed and bowed to a pretend audience. Draco landed beside her. She turned to him and flung her arms around his neck. He didn't realise how sweaty he was until she hugged him. They hadn't heard the bell for lunch. Lucinda bowed again, as her stomach growled audibly, and she and Draco walked into the Slytherin change rooms.

"There is a girls' change room." Draco stated, as Lucinda took off her shirt.

"No, I'm good. Unless..." Lucinda turned to face Draco and smirked.

"Unless what?" Draco asked, trying not to look at her near perfect body.

"Unless _you _want me to use the girls' change room..." Lucinda turned her back to him and put her school blouse on.

"Umm, well, I suppose you're almost changed so there's no point now."

"Mmm, you do have a point." Lucinda slipped out of her jeans and into her school skirt. She then put her Slytherin robes on over the top and let her hair fall out of its bun, over her shoulders and down her back. When Lucinda turned around, Draco was changed into his school uniform and held both her book bag and his own.

"Ready?" Draco asked, trying not to remember her toned torso. He needed his self control now more than ever.

"As ready as I'll ever be for Ancient Runes." Lucinda took her book bag from Draco and slung it over her shoulder.

"You take Ancient Runes?"

"It was either that or Divination. Divination is such an obscure and imprecise branch of magic that I chose the subject I'm more practised in."

"Of course."

"Why did you choose Divination?" Lucinda asked as they took the back door out of the change rooms.

"I didn't want to be stuck in a class with Granger."

"Fair enough. Do you know who else takes Ancient Runes in our year?"

"As far as I know two others."

"Who?" Lucinda asked apprehensively. _If I don't like them, maybe I can convince Draco to ditch with me... _Lucinda thought.

"Granger and this prat called Ernie McMillan."

"I know him. Bastard tried to talk to me on the train. Halfblood, Hufflepuff, prefect, mother was killed last year by a couple of death eaters."

"You remember the murder?"

"Of course. I grew up with death eaters in the house; my grandmother followed the dark lord's return obsessively. She searched for him obsessively when he fell."

"Was your grandmother Annabelle Marx?"

"Der Draco. One of only three women to be in the dark lord's inner circle."

"Three? I only ever saw two after he returned."

"Yes, well, she had her reasons. She was too old she said. She said it was my turn to be of use to the cause."

"She called it the cause?"

"Yep. Funny eh? She was like that. She was a strict pureblood. Raised me to obey the pureblood rules, live by the traditions of our blood." They were taking the most isolated route to the Ancient Runes room.

"What are you doing playing quidditch then? Or having a tattoo?"

"Small rebellions against NPMA and my aunt."

"Susanne. Yes, I know her. She is a very conservative pureblood. Obsessed with the old traditions."

"Obsessed with torture, death and punishment. That's why she makes such a good follower. She does what she's told, ruthlessly."

"Yes, the dark lord is talking of promoting her to the leader of one of the elimination teams. Apparently the guy he has in that position at the moment is giving him some trouble."

"I heard. There have been rumours of Snape's disloyalty for some time now. My grandmother believed he was a spy, but the dark lord refused to listen." They had reached the Ancient Runes class room.

"He's stubborn like that. Anyway, I'll see you in potions." Draco said, lingering, reluctant to return the way he had come.

"Oh, yeah, potions with the spy. Great." Lucinda said sarcastically, entering the classroom as the clock tolled the start of the lesson. Draco hurried to take the most abandoned route to Divination. Lucinda watched him go, chuckling as he kept looking over his shoulder.

"Move Slytherin." A rude voice came from behind her. Lucinda turned to glare at the newcomer.

"Move yourself halfblood." Lucinda spat as she moved out of the doorway, taking a seat at a table at the very back of the room. She spread her stuff around her, not that the Hufflepuff or the Gryffindor would sit next to her, but just in case. Professor Vector entered the room and distributed a quick quiz. It had two columns. One column had various symbols, the other various meanings. The symbols were seemingly in an order known only to the professor, the meanings jumbled.

"The meanings of the symbols are jumbled. Draw a line connecting the symbol to its meaning. You have the hour to complete the quiz. When you are finished, turn your paper in to me and leave. You may begin." Professor Vector settled herself behind her desk and scribbled away on a piece of parchment.

Lucinda looked around the room. Hermione Granger, seated in the very front desk, was hunched over her quiz scribbling furiously. Ernie McMillan, seated at a desk about halfway up the room, was chewing on the end of his quill staring at his quiz looking seriously confused. Lucinda flipped through the five pages of symbols and scrambled meanings. _This is simple. I could do this quiz in my sleep_ Lucinda thought as she began her quiz.

Twenty minutes later Lucinda had checked and re-checked her answers out of habit. She leant back in her chair, propping her feet up on the table. She saw McMillan glance back at her. She waved. He blushed and looked down. He took a piece of parchment out of his bag, scribbled something on it, scrunched it into a ball and threw it at Granger. It hit her in the back of the head and lodged in the fuzz she called hair. She reached behind her to pluck it out of her hair. She flattened it out, her eyes scanning it quickly and then she twisted in her seat to look at Lucinda. Lucinda waved at her and smirked evilly, Granger glared and went back to her quiz, scribbling even more furiously. When Lucinda decided that she had sat for long enough to be able to take her quiz up without causing suspicion, she walked up to Professor Vectors' desk.

"Done already dear?" Professor Vector asked surprised.

"Yes. Can I go?" Lucinda asked, boredom ringing clear in her voice.

"Yes, yes of course. Go straight to your next class, don't linger child. It isn't safe."

"Of course it is. You don't honestly think the dark lord would attack Hogwarts so soon after his return." Lucinda commented disdainfully. Granger looked up at 'the dark lord'. _Curious, very curious. I must tell this to Harry and Ron. I mean, who calls Voldemort the dark lord apart from death eaters?_ Granger thought. As Lucinda made to walk past Granger's desk, Granger caught her arm.

"How dare you touch me, Mudblood!" Lucinda hissed.

"I know your secret. I will tell." Granger threatened, tightening her grip on Lucinda's arm.

"Which one? You think you're so great don't you, you little Mudblood? Well I hate to tell you this Granger, but you're not. You're not worth the breath to insult you." Lucinda hissed venom dripping from every syllable.

Lucinda wrenched her arm out of Granger's grip, almost throwing Granger from her chair. Lucinda shoved her stuff in her bag and slammed the door behind her as she stormed from the room. _Stupid Mudblood and her stupid mouth and her stupid over analysing brain and her stupid friends. Stupid, stupid, stupid. _Lucinda ranted in her head as she took the back way to the Divination tower. When she reached the door to the classroom, she put her bag at her feet and leant against the window sill. She pulled her Potions book from her bag, looking over the various potions. Some she had made before, most she hadn't. She flipped the page and sitting there was an ornately drawn dragon in mid flight with DM written on the right wing.

"Draco." Lucinda breathed. At that exact moment the door flung open and Gryffindors came spilling out. Lucinda pressed herself against the wall to escape being touched by such...filth. As she relaxed a body rammed straight into her, sending them both to the ground, her book and Draco's drawing flying over the edge of the tower, the book landed with a resounding thump.

"Watch where you're going retard!" Lucinda snapped as the body that ran into her extended a pale hand and mumbled an apology. Lucinda slapped the hand away and lifted herself gingerly from the ground. Looking out the window she nearly wept. Draco's beautiful drawing had fluttered into the lake.

"There's no need to cry. I can always draw you another one." The body's voice spoke. Lucinda whirled around and realised that it was Draco who'd run into her.

"Sorry I snapped. I didn't know it was you. And I'm _not_ crying." Lucinda mumbled, picking up her bag and making her way down the stairs, to collect her potions book.

"It's understandable, it was a beautiful drawing. Not my best, but close to it. You definitely belong in Slytherin. Just swap retard for disgusting filth and your there." Draco commented.

"Whatever you reckon. I just want my book back and for this day to be over." As she finished talking, Lucinda's potions book came flying down the staircase behind them and landed softly in Draco's hands. He handed it to her. She mumbled a 'thanks' and hurried down the stairs. They were close to being very late. Snape would give them another detention for sure.

"Snape's going to kick our asses if we are not in our seats in the next five seconds. You realise this right?" Draco asked, glancing at the clock above the doorway, five flights of stairs down.

"Take my hand and hold on tight." Lucinda instructed. Draco did. To the students passing them in the opposite direction they looked like a happy couple ditching class. Then they weren't there.

Draco felt like he was flying. Like he was soaring. Images flashed before his eyes. He saw snippets from Hogwarts fifty years ago, Hogwarts fifty years to come and then finally he was sitting in his chair in the dungeons. He looked across to Lucinda to find her doubled over in her chair, gripping her middle with both hands, as if trying to hold herself together. She was panting slightly, there was a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead and tears were slipping down her cheeks. Her complexion had turned waxy, sallow. Draco put one hand on her back and peered closely at her face.

"What's wrong Luc? What is it?" Draco asked, worried.

"It's...nothing." Lucinda forced out quietly, a look of excruciating pain crossing her face as she spoke.

"Obviously it is. You're in pain. Tell me what's wrong. I want to help." Draco whispered as the dungeon door flung open.

"You can't help. Why do you care?"

"Because I do. Let me help." Draco pleaded as Lucinda's breathing returned to normal and she sat up straight. She looked to the front of the classroom and frowned. _What's with the walrus? _Lucinda wrote on a piece of parchment and pushed it into Draco's arm. _Oh, that's Slughorn. I thought he was the new DADA teacher._ Draco slipped the paper back. His neat elegant script made Lucinda so jealous._ Apparently Snape's finally got the post he's always wanted._ Lucinda mused._ Apparently so. The Walrus just assigned a potion and I missed what page it's on. Did you get it? _Draco asked, seemingly worried. _Page 122. Felix Felicis. It's the potion we'll be making for this term. Luckily for you, I've made this before. Look at Potter would you? He looks like he thinks he's the best or something. _Lucinda wrote quickly. _Yeah, he's like that. It's just too bad he's gonna die soon, I rather liked making his life a living hell. _Draco reminisced. Lucinda laughed, earning the attention of the whole class.

"Did I say something you found amusing Miss Marx?" Slughorn asked, irritated.

"Ahh, yes, actually you did."

"Would you care to enlighten us?" Slughorn's face turned a deep shade of puce.

"You said the potion you've assigned is difficult and will take some time. It isn't and it doesn't."

"I'll assume you've made it before then."

"Of course. When I was seven."

"Of course. Class dismissed." Slughorn was slowly returning to normal colour. Draco cornered her outside.

"Did you really make this potion when you were seven?" Draco asked, placing one arm on either side of her head against the wall.

"Yes. And once every year since. It was one of the first potions I learnt to brew."

"Good. We should pass then." Draco said, walking back to the common room.

"Of course we'll pass!!" Lucinda yelled after him, earning reproachful looks from her classmates. She glared in return and stomped off to dinner. Instantly regretting her decision to go alone. Halfway through dinner it seemed Draco had decided to skip dinner. Fifteen minutes after Lucinda came to this conclusion owls swooped through the hall, delivering the evening mail. Lucinda instantly recognised her grandmother's owl and her tattoo prickled uncomfortably. Lucinda tore the envelope from the owl, the owl took off. The prickling subsided almost instantly. She tucked the letter inside her robes and departed the hall for McGonagall's office. Draco was already there. The despised teacher was nowhere in sight.

"Our detention is to sort the school records by the year then by house and alphabetical order within that." Draco mumbled as he frowned at a faded student card. Lucinda waved her wand and all their work was done for them. Draco looked up and frowned quizzically at her.

"You didn't say that she specified that we do it without magic."

"She didn't."

"Well then why aren't you thanking me?"

"Thank you."

"I have to go read and reply to a letter. Meet me at eleven at the portrait of the three legged dog on the fourth floor." Lucinda didn't wait for a reply. She turned her back on the room and strolled out the door, wandering down the hallway, looking for an empty classroom. She found what she was looking for in the DADA classroom the floor above.

She clicked the door behind her, making sure it was locked before she perched on the teachers' desk. Taking the envelope out, she stared at it for a fraction of a second before tearing it open and extracting the letter carefully. She knew the sender had placed a curse on it to prevent unwanted eyes reading the contents. She recognised her father's handwriting. _That's different...he usually doesn't write his own letters..._She thought distractedly. The letter read like so:

_My dear Lucinda,_

_I may walk through valleys as dark as death and I will not be afraid. For I know the darkness is my own. My creation. My friends. My family. My soul._

_I know you are probably trying to fit in and make friends, but I would like you to try to focus more on your studies and responsibilities than your social life this year. You're 16__th__ birthday is coming up and I was wondering what you wanted for your birthday. If you want a party, let me know so I can organise it and get me the names of the classmates you want to attend. _

_Onto more pressing matters, the Malfoy's have approached me about the marriage contract your mother and I signed with them when you were born. Before you order your howler, listen to me. Lucius and I are old friends and we agreed when we were seventeen that our first borns would marry. When you and Draco were born Lucius called in the deal. It is a good match. I know you've never thought much of arranged marriage, but Draco is a good kid. A bit rough round the edges, but a fine young man. Think about it honey. The Malfoy's have been trying to merge the Malfoy and the Slytherin line for as long as our families have existed. If you and Draco wed, it would be a very glorious day indeed. And a very happy moment in history for our families. _

_Your grandmother's will was executed today. She left everything she owned to you. Her little princess. You have her estate, her fortune, everything. Including her spell books that I know you were so fond of. _

_I am planning on revealing you as my daughter at the next meeting, so I would like you to be there. Thursday night, midnight. You know the clearing. Your grandmother used to take you to play there as a child, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding it._

_I await your reply my child. Congratulations on your placement._

_V _

Lucinda was absolutely livid at the news that her father had agreed to an arranged marriage. He hated arranged marriages, so why the hell was he forcing her into one?! She knew it was her father from the second line of his letter. It was their way to tell each other it was really them.

"HOW DARE HE?!?" Lucinda screamed at the empty room. The news of the contents of her grandmothers will and her reveal was pleasing though. She was sure that her father was not happy that she had gotten everything, but her grandmother had loved and raised Lucinda like she was her own daughter. She walked around the desk and rummaged through the drawers, looking for a sheet of parchment, a quill and some black ink. She found the items she was looking for. She wrote a relatively long letter to her father, trying not to sound bitter about the arranged marriage.

_Dad,_

_I may walk through valleys as dark as death and I will not be afraid. For I know the darkness is my own._

_Yeah, a party sounds great. Umm, my invites are Slytherin house, Seairah Hailey & Rosemary Thyme. As for the arranged marriage, I will live. Draco's really sweet. Although if you tell anyone I said that I will deny it vehemently. What do I want for my birthday?? I have absolutely no idea. Umm, how about a new outfit or two? I could do with some new clothes. I haven't been shopping in a while. Anything black will be fine. _

_The people here have been very welcoming. Draco invited me to play Truth or Dare with him and some other Slytherins tonight. It's a bit hard to focus on study when I'm constantly in detention. It's only the second night and I've had two after dinner detentions already. _

_Can you not reveal me this Thursday? It might come as a bit of a shock to Draco...I've grown used to my fake history, so when he asked me about my father I used the lie I always used at NPMA. I told the truth about everything else. I don't like lying to Draco. _

_Did you know that the headmistress at NPMA is Dumbledore's daughter?? And I did some digging, and I found out that she killed Lilly Malfoy. Draco's cousin that died last year. Do you remember? It was just after your return...anyway, I was thinking of a return visit for a little revenge of my own...stupid bitch deserves what's coming to her._

_Anyway, I've gotta go...I'm meeting Draco in a minute. It's way past curfew, I don't wanna get caught. I'm using an empty classroom to write this. Oh, and don't send Gran's owl again. She stands out too much._

_LM xox_

Lucinda whistled and her grandmother's owl came soaring through the open window and Lucinda's tattoo seared painfully. Her father wasn't happy about something. Lucinda folded her letter into thirds and held it out to the owl. The owl grasped the letter in its mahogany beak and jumped out the window, plummeting a few feet before spreading her black wings and flying towards the moon.

Lucinda hurried out of the room, extinguishing the lamps as she went. She strolled casually down the hall and felt a hand close around her mouth. She went rigid.

"Relax Lucinda. It's just me." Draco whispered into her ear. Lucinda instantly relaxed into him. The idea of marrying Draco was beginning to grow on her. That didn't mean she supported her father's decision, but she wasn't opposed to it as much as she would have been under other circumstances.

"What the hell Draco? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Lucinda hissed as she started ascending the closest staircase. Tanya materialised out of the darkness. Lucinda gave her a questioning glance and Tanya nodded her head slightly.

Draco trailed them slowly. When they had walked past the stretch of wall they needed, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back. The door to the room of requirement appeared and they entered. There was a circle of Slytherins seated in the centre of the room. There was another door adjacent to the one they had just entered. The room looked almost identical to the Slytherin common room. Except for the four or five fires burning around the room. There was a black leather couch at the west end of the room and a king sized bed at the east end. Lucinda had thought she and Draco would be the first to arrive, but it looked like everyone else was waiting for them. She had wanted to talk to Draco but apparently that was going to be impossible.

"Draco!! Finally!! We were about to start without you...Who are the new girls?" A boy with dark curly hair, a dark tan and baby blue eyes spoke to Draco.

"Blaise. I seriously doubt you would start without me. I'm me. You are the only one in this room who doesn't know Lucinda or Tanya. Well, now that we're here, let's start." Draco drawled self-importantly sitting next to the boy, pulling Lucinda into his lap. She slapped his hands playfully and slid off his lap, sitting very close to his side. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. The girls in the circle were glaring at her as if she had bewitched Draco or something. From the looks of things, she was the only one who knew that she and Draco were betrothed.

"Double, double, toil and trouble those in this room shall tell naught but the truth and reject naught but lies. Eye of newt and adder's fork, naught but yes shall pass their lips when a dare is delivered. Blind mans toil and cauldron bubble naught of this night shall pass the lips of those present outside of this room. Something evil this way comes and it is sitting in this circle." Antonia cast a notorious dark spell that was used to ensure the utmost secrecy and compliance within whatever field the caster chose. Antonia happened to elect this game of truth or dare. It made no sense to Lucinda. They were just kids playing a game. There was no need for a secrecy and compliance spell. Lucinda wasn't sure what happened to the one who broke their secrecy but she didn't want to be the one to find out.

"Who's going to start?" Antonia asked.

"I will. Lucinda. Truth or Dare?" Pansy started. Draco winced. Pansy was notorious for her ultra embarrassing dares. Lucinda had never said no to a dare and she wasn't going to start now, but truth could be dangerous for her. Especially with the secrecy and compliance spell.

"Truth." Lucinda decided to risk it. She had been mostly truthful since she arrived there. What could Pansy-Pug-Faced-Parkinson ask that could potentially put her in danger anyway?

"Make it good Parkinson." Blaise said. Pansy decided to jump in feet first and ask the personal question that no one liked answering.

"Lucinda. Are you a virgin?" Pansy smirked as all eyes went straight to Lucinda, each of the teens in the room were eagerly awaiting her response.

"No. Far from it." Lucinda could feel the tears forming in her eyes as the truth was dragged from her lips. It was as if her lips and voice were acting of their own accord.

"What!?" Draco yelped. Everyone, including Lucinda, turned to look at him. Stunned and confused that he cared so much.

"Truth or Dare Draco?" Lucinda asked.

"Truth."

"Are _you_ a virgin?" Lucinda had no clue what motivated her to ask his virginal status. She came to the conclusion that it was because she was betrothed to him and she had a right to know.

"No."

"Then why are you judging me?" Lucinda didn't know why she was reacting badly. She didn't know why she cared.

"I'm not. I was just surprised. Blaise, Truth or Dare?" Draco successfully dodged Lucinda's questioning gaze. The night continued in this fashion until, at about midnight there were three people left. Lucinda, Draco and Pansy. Tanya had left pretty soon after the game began. Said she was tired. It was Pansy's turn to dare someone.

"Lucinda. TOD?" They had shortened truth or dare to tod at about eleven thirty. It was easier and took less effort to enunciate.

"Dare." Lucinda was beginning to regret agreeing to play. Pansy always gave her the worst dares. And Pansy's dares were the worst. Pansy produced a goblet filled with thick yellowy goo. Pansy passed the goblet to Lucinda.

"Drink. All of it. The goblet has to be empty for you to pass this dare." As Lucinda gazed into the goblet, Draco peeked into it and his face turned horror stricken.

"No Pansy." Draco spoke firmly and tried to take the goblet out of Lucinda's hand.

"It's Lucinda's choice Draco. She hasn't turned down one of my dares yet. And I'm thinking she's not about to start." Lucinda wrapped both her hands around Draco's wrist and tipped the goo into her mouth. She tried not to think about what she was swallowing. She had drained the goblet in three seconds flat.

"BAH!! That was horrible. It normally tastes better than that Parkinson. What did you put in it?"

"Bit of this, bit of that. If you knew, you would regret drinking that. In about two minutes, you will start feeling horrible."

"You didn't." Draco was paler than normal. And that was hard to achieve.

"I did." Two minutes passed and Lucinda didn't feel any different. They waited ten and nothing had happened.

"You brewed it incorrectly Parkinson. Although, next time you try to turn me into a vampire, let me know so I can write an apology note to the school before hand." Lucinda stood and left the room. Draco threw a glare in Pansy's direction and left before the door had closed behind Lucinda. Pansy was not happy. She was absolutely furious. When Lucinda and Draco arrived back at the common room, Draco's father's owl was waiting for Draco.

"Take it. I'm gonna go up to bed. I'm stuffed. Night." Lucinda sprinted up the girls' staircase before Draco had a chance to respond. The letter was delivered with the Malfoy family owl, the envelope was sealed with Voldemort's seal. As he took the letter from Maggot (the owl) the dark mark on his arm burned.


	2. Dykadelic

__

_"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook" - William James_

_CHAPTER 2:- Dykadelic _

Lucinda was late. Very, very, very late. Lucinda had her skirt on backwards, her hair looked like she had just gotten out of bed and her makeup was smudged and pooling under her eyes. As she sprinted down the cold stone corridor, half her blouse came untucked from her skirt and her book bag strap broke. Lucinda burst through the dungeon door just as Slughorn finished his lecture. Draco turned and looked. He looked the same as she did. Like he hadn't slept in days.

"Miss Marx!" Slughorn bellowed as she took her seat next to Draco.

"I know, I know. Detention. Report to your office immediately after dinner tonight. Don't be late. Get to work." Lucinda imitated the professor.

"Miss Marx!!"

"I know, I know. Detention. Report to your office immediately after dinner tomorrow night in addition to tonight. Don't be late. Get to work. You're going to owl my non-existent parents." Lucinda yawned. Slughorn left her alone. He could tell when one of his students didn't care about their education.

"Do you know who the dark lord's daughter is?" Draco breathed in Lucinda's ear.

"Mmhmm. Why?" Lucinda asked, turning her head to meet Draco's silvery orbs.

"My father owled me last night to inform me that I was betrothed to her. And we will marry in the summer. Apparently I know her." Draco seemed a bit stressed out about the situation.

"You do."

"Do I like her?"

"I don't know. I don't know how you feel about her. I know you're friends with her. I know you're nice to her. But I don't know whether that's to be polite or because you genuinely like her."

"Can you tell me who she is?"

"No."

"What if I guess it right?"

"If you guess it then I'm not telling you. However, I can only answer yes or no to your questions."

"Is she a Slytherin?"

"Yes."

"That's good. Is she a death eater?"

"Yes. But her mark isn't where you'd expect. It also isn't your typical mark."

"Okay. Black hair?"

"It looks black in dull light. It's actually a very dark brown."

"Umm, eye colour?"

"Chocolate brown."

"Does she play quidditch?"

"Yes."

"Is she on the Slytherin team?"

"She hopes to be."

"Did she transfer in?"

"Yes."

"This year or last?"

"This year."

"I'm looking at her aren't I?"

"Yes." Lucinda was relived that he had figured it out, but nervous to see how he'd react. He had been silent for three minutes. He was still silent. Lucinda jumped when the shrill bell broke the silence. She shoved her stuff into her back and was the first out of the room. She was turning the corner towards the grand staircase when Draco cleared his throat.

"Well. I'm glad I'm betrothed to someone I actually like." Draco stated, seemingly jokingly.

"I'm informing you now that I am going to get out of it."

"Don't you like me?" Draco appeared hurt. Lucinda sought a more isolated route to Transfiguration.

"Of course I do. However, I am against arranged marriages and nothing could possibly get me to agree to one."

"What if the guy you were betrothed to spontaneously proposed?"

"Stop learning big words Draco. You might choke on one."

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not. I'm merely stating a fact. The only person who would willingly use big words like spontaneously is Granger. And she's a bookworm so it's expected."

"You are changing the subject. Stop it. Just answer the bloody question."

"What was the question?"

"You are against arranged marriages. I get that. But what if the guy your parents wanted you to marry randomly proposed."

"So, you want to know what I'd do slash say if you randomly proposed."

"Yes."

"I don't know. But I am not in the mood to be proposed to right now, so don't even think about it." Lucinda pulled out her wand and turned Draco into a cardboard box, then a watch, then a whistle and finally a goblet. McGonagall appraised Lucinda's work and gave herself and Draco an early mark for impressing her. She turned Draco back into Draco and left the room, sprinting down the stairs and out onto the grounds, heading towards the gates with Draco on her heels.

"Where are you going?"

"Hogsmeade. Where are you going?"

"With you."

"No you're not. I'm buying a dress for my party. Its bad luck to see your betrothed in any dress before the wedding day."

"No its not. Its bad fortune to see your betrothed in her wedding dress the day before the wedding. By the way, your father requests your presence this Thursday night."

"In the clearing. I know." Lucinda stopped and faced him. He walked into her.

"Look, Draco, I know you're under strict orders to not leave my side, but I hate to tell you that if you don't leave me alone you will learn the hard way to leave me alone when I'm pissed off at my father."

"You won't hurt me." Lucinda turned him into a cardboard box.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Lucinda muttered as she strode down the path and disappeared into the rain that began to fall lightly at first, but grew gradually heavier. The cardboard turned to mush and Draco wondered what he would look like if she came back and returned him to his normal state.

Lucinda regretted losing her temper like that, but turning him into a cardboard box wasn't the worst thing she's ever done to someone when she was pissed off. She accidently killed someone the last time she felt like this. It wasn't her fault though. She'd warned him. She'd told him to bugger off. It was completely his fault she blanked out and killed him. No, it was in no way, shape or form any part her fault. Or that's what she'd tried to tell herself for the three months afterwards. The three months of nightmares. She'd heard death eaters say how guilty they often felt because they could remember it, how that feeling would pass and give way to numbness. How lucky she was because she couldn't remember. Some felt joy after a killing. But she'd never heard of anyone having nightmares afterwards. She could sense a presence beside and allowed her eyes to flick in the direction of the life form walking quietly beside her.

"Tanya." Lucinda greeted cordially.

"Lucinda. I returned Draco to a Draco form of existence."

"Why?"

"You'd left him there as a cardboard box. The cardboard was beginning to break down from the rain." They wandered into a thick wood.

"I would have turned him back when I'd calmed down."

"We're gonna get in so much shit for this. You're father's not going to be happy."

"He can bite me. What's life without a little risk? As father used to say, 'Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.'"

"You're father said that?" doubt ringing clear through her voice. Lucinda laughed at the look on her friends face.

"Well, no. Gran did. But the point is the same." They both laughed. Lucinda stopped suddenly, throwing out her arm to halt Tanya, catching her round her stomach. Tanya fell flat on her back from the suddness of the standstill. Lucinda crouched protectively infront of Tanya, sniffing the air and growling softly.

"What is it Luc?" Tanya asked, confused at Lucinda's reaction to seemingly nothing.

"Blood. I smell blood. I smell tainted blood."

"Do you smell anything else?" Lucinda shook her head violently. Tanya hadn't honed her senses as much as Lucinda had. Lucinda had been 'dealing' for almost a whole year longer so if there was something in those woods, Lucinda would've smelt it.


	3. You Might Regret That

_YOU MIGHT REGRET THAT DECISION LITTLE GIRL..._

(A/N:- I know its bin a while, but I've been heaps busy and this chapter was surprisingly difficult to write...anyway, school holiday's are almost here so I'm aiming to update more regularly. R&R!!! Luv ya, Luc. xox)

'One's best success come after their greatest disappointments' – Henry Ward Beecher

Chapter song:- You're Not Sorry by Taylor Swift

_She pushed open the white, light-weight bedroom door and stepped gingerly around it, the cold air hitting her with the force of a bullet. She pulled her thin cotton shirt down over her bare thighs and rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep warm. She wandered into the kitchen, the air having a chilling comparison to death. Her hand wandered the doorframe, looking for the light switch. She flicked the lights on and glanced at the clock. 1:45 am. Breakfast time she thought wearily, rubbing her tired, aching eyes. _

"_I don't know why I wake up so early..." She murmured to herself distractedly, searching the fridge for something remotely edible. Dissatisfied with her raid on the fridge, she turned to the cupboard. _

_He watched her. Silently. He watched from the kitchen window. He stepped closer to the edge of the light flooding through the open window. She turned and wondered back through the house to the bathroom. He looked down at his blood soaked hands and clambered through the window, flicking off the light as he ran lightly towards the sound of running water and soft humming._

*beep* *beep* *beep*

Lucinda sat bolt upright and screamed, tears running down her cheeks in torrents. Wiping her eyes she peered around the room. Everyone was at breakfast already. Lucinda slipped out of bed and dressed hurriedly, not bothering with makeup or even to look in the mirror and glided into the hall as if in a daze. She was already seated opposite Tanya when the noise of the Great Hall hit her senses.

"Jesus Lu. What happened to you? You look horrible."

"I _feel_ horrible. Bad dream." Lucinda brushed off Tanya's concern.

"What was your dream about?"

"What my dreams are always about. Murder."

"Who died last night?" Tanya glanced wearily around them to make sure no one was paying attention to them as she spoke.

"I don't know."

"Give me a description."

"Pretty. Blonde. About fifteen. Our height-ish. And someone had a serious grudge against her." Tanya noted the girl's characteristics on the back of her hand, a mental note to bring up the death in a few days.

"This someone who had a serious grudge against our pretty blonde, did you see him?"

"No. It was like the others."

"And his hands?"

"Covered in blood. Either he hasn't had a shower between the murder of the night before last and last nights or he went straight from one murder to the next."

"Okay. Let's remember not to guess what he does between murders. How did he kill her?"

"Not a clue."

"What do you mean!?!?"

"I mean I don't know if he even killed her or not. My alarm went off as he climbed through the window."

"B and E. Shouldn't be hard to find in the system."

"The window was wide open."

"You mean to tell me that he's opportunistic now?"

"No. Not at all. I got the impression that he had been stalking her for a while. She may have been an ex, a girlfriend, a sister. I don't know. But he knew her well enough to know she'd be up at quarter to two in the morning."

"Interesting." Tanya mused.

"There's something else."

"Oh?" Tanya had lost interest and was gazing intently at a Slytherin about halfway up the table.

"I heard her thoughts." Tanya's attention snapped back to Lucinda as if she'd sat on a fire.

"What? How –?" Tanya stumbled for words.

"I don't know. It was like I was him. I was looking through his eyes, feeling what he was feeling, I was in his body. But her thoughts were ringing through my mind as if they were my own. I think he's a legilimens."

"Maybe. Or he's a vampire."

"No. He's not a vampire."

"How can you be sure?"

"I just am."

"Sure of what?" Draco plonked down on the seat next to Lucinda.

"Uhh...sure I don't want to do the acting workshop that's being held in a few hours."

"Yeah, me neither. I don't think anyone wants to. I have to talk to you. _Later_."

"Ohk...I'll meet you at the lake then."

"See you there." Draco swiped Lucinda's piece of untouched toast and sauntered out of the hall.

"You have it bad." Tanya said as she watched Lucinda watch Draco exit the hall.

"I do not! See you in class." Lucinda ambled out of the hall and slammed the door behind her, leaving Tanya laughing softly behind her.

_All this time I was wasting hoping you would come around_

_I've been giving out chances every time and all you do is let me down_

_And it's taken me this long baby but I figured you out_

_And you think it will be fine again but not this time around_

_You don't have to call anymore_

_I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw _

_Don't wanna hurt anymore_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry _

_But I don't believe you baby like I did before_

_You're not sorry_

_No, no, no, no, no..._

"Miss Marx!!" Tiny professor Flitwick was red in the face from trying to get her attention. Lucinda tugged the earphones out of her ears innocently.

"Yes professor?"

"Pay attention!!"

"Yes professor." As soon as Flitwick's back was turned Lucinda put the earphones back into her ears. As she settled down in her seat she pressed play on her magipod and turned the volume up loud, drowning everything out.

Lucinda gathered her stuff as students filed past her, bound for their next classes. She was still in the oblivion that was her music as she sat down in the dungeons and began the next phase of the Felix Felicis potion. Draco hadn't been in class all morning so his absence allowed her to work in undisturbed and peaceful absorption.

Lucinda let her mind wander back to the events of the night before. The mangled body. The _blood_. Tanya had paled at the sight of it, as Lucinda was sure she had. The body belonged to a girl in Hufflepuff. Lucinda had often fantasised about nobody caring whether she went missing or not, but she wasn't _that_ thirsty. She was getting her fill from the magical creatures that half-giant liked to keep as pets, but never kept tabs on.

Of course both the ministry and the school had hushed up the death of the girl, believing it to be the work of the local werewolves. But Lucinda and Tanya knew better. He was getting better at stashing his kills. _Whoever 'he' is. _Lucinda thought, annoyed that his identity should elude her. _Her._ She knew everything about everyone in her father's ranks. This man...guy...kid..._thing_...killed like a death eater, but he wasn't one. He lacked the 'experience'. Death eaters _always_ leave a mark on the body. _Always._ Lucinda and Tanya looked this body over twenty times before screaming and alerting a villager to the presence of the body. There was no such mark to be found anywhere on the mangled corpse. It was enough to make her hunt. _I _will _figure this out, even if it kills me._ She thought resolutely.

_You might regret that decision little girl..._


	4. With God As My Witness

With God As My Witness.

Heyy guys...this is more of a filler chappie really...it's not really critical to the story...just needed to clarify some points. My sister T helped me with some of this.

After potions was an early lunch and then an acting workshop. _God only knows why Dumbledore wants witches and wizards to learn how to act but anyway..._ Lucinda thought as she walked slowly and calmly towards the beech tree on the lake's southern bank. Draco was no where to be seen. Much like the rest of the day.

"Draco?" Lucinda questioned the tree trunk quietly. No reply came from anywhere. Lucinda pulled herself up into the lower branches and made herself comfortable on a bough that reached out over the lake. _Wow, the grounds are gorgeous from the arms of a tree._ She thought placidly. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves around her and rippled the surface of the water. The bough shuddered beneath her. She whipped around and had her wand out and against Draco's throat before you could say quidditch.

"Relax Luc. It's only me." Draco laughed, pushing her wand away lazily with a finger tip.

"Sorry. Reflex. You understand."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Where have you been?" Draco demanded, taking a seat on the tree branch beside her.

"Where have I been? Where have you been?"

"I've been here. Waiting for you."

"All fudging day?"

"Yep."

"You git."

"Shut up!" Draco pushed her lightly, causing her to overbalance and fall off the branch. Lucinda grabbed his wrist at the last second and they both hurtled into the lake. Lucinda surfaced first, spluttering. She looked all around her, but couldn't see Draco anywhere. She ducked her head under the water to try and spot him, when something wrapped around her waist. She thrashed wildly and then she saw Draco's eyes and knew it was him. She pulled her head out of the water, the waves in the lake causing her and Draco to bob on the surface.

"I'm going to kill you!" Lucinda screamed over the howling wind at the same time that Draco yelled "Go to my Christmas Ball with me?"

"Hang on, what?" Lucinda screamed in disbelief. She'd never gone to The Malfoy Christmas Ball before. She hadn't been permitted to go as a child, no children were. You had be twelve years of age or older to attend. And Lucinda had lost contact with the Malfoy family when she went away to school. Lilly (Draco's cousin) had never attended the ball either as she thought it a waste of time. But Lucinda had dreamt of it since she was three.

Draco tilted his head towards the northern bank. Lucinda nodded and shed her school robe. They raced to the shore. Lucinda won by half an inch. Lucinda stumbled through the mud and collapsed, exhausted and laughing, on the warm grass. Draco lay down beside her, also laughing. Lucinda rolled onto her side to study Draco's face, only to realise that he was already staring at her, his face the epitome of seriousness and effortless gorgeousness.

"I believe you wanted to talk to me Draco?" Lucinda gasped, as she tried to take air into her aching lungs.

"I did." Draco seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"Well?" Lucinda prompted.

"Would you accompany me to my family's annual Christmas ball?"

"Yes. I've dreamt of The Malfoy Christmas Ball since I was three."

"Really?"

"Yeah, kinda pathetic eh?"

"Just a bit. The ball's not that great. It's actually quite boring."

"I don't care. Race you back to the common room." Lucinda yelled as she scrambled to her feet at tore off towards the southern tower, while Draco ran towards the front doors. _I would _love_ to play her games...But I have a party to put together. _He thought as he saw her slow down and look behind her, confused as to why he wasn't chasing her and instead was running in the opposite direction.

*Meanwhile, on top of the astronomy tower*

She kicked open the door causing the curly haired brunette inside to flinch. He knew it was her.

"You wanted something Blaise?"

"Yes, Tanya. I did."

"Spit it out already. I have a very important appointment to attend. And I don't have all day."

"Go to Draco's family's ball with me?"

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yes. I gotta go. You idiot"

"Me too. See you later?"

"At the party." And the two went their separate ways, Blaise running down the stairs, Tanya slipping out the window, landing softly on the muddy ground beneath her, not leaving so much an indentation in the soft earth.

Four hours later, Lucinda was wandering around the castle aimlessly, still damp from her 'swim'. She couldn't find Draco anywhere. She constantly had Slytherins talking at her, Gryffindors insulting her, Ravenclaws ignoring her and Hufflepuffs running away in the opposite direction screaming bloody murder if she so much as looked in their general direction. She _actually missed_ Seairah. Seairah didn't talk much. She was a quiet girl. Always had been, probably always will be. But she knew how to hold a conversation or just walk in silence, occasionally screaming at someone for merely looking at Lucinda. _I trained her well..._Lucinda thought miserably as she realised the Seairah was more of a performing monkey than a friend.

"YO!! MARX!!" Somebody yelled at her back. The cramped corridor went deadly silent, almost as if someone had cast a silencing charm or stopped time. She turned around slowly.

"Who dares address me?" She hissed to the silent, quivering, cowering crowd.

"I do!" A Ravenclaw girl emerged from the crowd. She was about the same height as Lucinda, with shoulder length black hair. Cho Chang.

"How dare you!?! You FILTHY HALF-BLOOD!!!" Lucinda's voice dripped with venom. One of the younger members of the crowd skittered off towards a deserted classroom.

"I just came to tell you..." Cho Chang never got to tell Lucinda what she wanted to say, because Lucinda stopped time.

"You listen to me you disgusting excuse for a witch. I am Lord Voldemort's daughter. You don't get to 'just tell' me anything. You speak when I want you to speak, you breathe when I want you to breathe. And I'm afraid I got sick of your voice the moment you opened your mouth at birth, and you just made me want you to not breathe. I'm over your kind polluting my life, my air, my heritage. In fact, I'm just sick of you. Avada Kedavra." Lucinda killed Cho Chang. She burned her mark into Cho Chang's neck. Lucinda's mark was uniquely hers. It was the same midnight black butterfly as her tattoo, but written in blood red cursive beneath the butterfly was viesnīca nāves instead of her name. Lucinda's mark was the only coloured mark in the death eater ranks of over seven countries.

Lucinda had a room of wands at her manor. Each made by some kidnapped wand maker or other. Every single one had a 'self destruct' setting that enforced itself approximately two minutes after the wand performs the killing curse. Lucinda had used one of these wands to kill Cho Chang. _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..._Lucinda thought, looking at the wand in her hand. As she got to 1 in her thoughts, the wand spontaneously combusted in her hand. Lucinda dropped the burning wand and walked calmly away from the scene until she was well away from the scene. Then she allowed time to resume. She could hear the horrified screams and she laughed softly.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me." Lucinda sang under her breath as wandered the dungeons. Her hand flew to the place where her tattoo resided on her skin. Her tattoo was burning. She knew what that meant. She also knew that she had to find Draco before he could apparate to her father. But apparently, he had other ideas as he came hurtling around the corner, running straight into her.

"Somebody murdered a Ravenclaw!" Draco hissed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a potions room.

"I know. I was there."

"It was you. I know. There was somebody tailing me. Anywho, you need to come with me."

"Where to?"

"You'll see. You remember that room that we played truth or dare in a few nights ago?"

"Yeah...But..."

"But what?"

"Didn't your mark just burn?"

"Yeah, because your father sent me an owl."

"Saying?"

"He's pissed we didn't show up to the meeting last week but he understands that it's hard to get out of the castle unnoticed, there's a meeting tonight, but since it's your birthday we don't have to go blah, blah, blah...umm we have to go to your unveiling this weekend. It's a Saturday night and falls on a Hogsmeade weekend so we don't have to try and get out of the castle."

"Anything else?"

"Nope. Now come on! Oh my...You're not wearing that are you?" Draco asked as he eyed her damp uniform.

"Depends where we're going."

"To a party. Go and look on your bed. You should find a dress there."

Lucinda walked back to her room and looked on her bed. There was a black dress, with black strappy high-heels, a pair of silver hoops and a silver necklace with a silver letter on it. The letter 'D'. Lucinda smiled when she saw the necklace, quickly changed, styled her hair so it was falling in soft curls and ran back to Draco. The dress came to mid-thigh, so it was relatively easy to run in. Draco complimented her then rushed her to the room of requirement. The room was empty and dark.

"There's nobody here Draco." Lucinda's voice echoed in the darkness.

"Or is there?" Draco said mysteriously, flicking the light switch.

"SURPRISE!!" About thirty people yelled at once. It looked like half of Slytherin house had turned up. They spent the night and well into the morning dancing and singing to the music, talking, socialising and getting drunk. Tanya had supplied the Fire whiskey and charmed the bottles to refill themselves automatically. Needless to say, they practically threw two parties at once as nobody left the room of requirement for the whole of the next day and then partied some more in celebration of Tanya's birthday.

That weekend, as Draco, Lucinda, Tanya and Blaise were walking to Hogsmeade; they were set upon by a group of Gryffindors.

"Hey! Death eaters!" The Gryffindors jeered. It took Lucinda a moment to realise that Seairah was amongst them.

"Just because we are Slytherin, you assume we are death eaters? Wow, and I thought my old school was prejudiced." Tanya snarled, baring her teeth. Lucinda lay a restraining hand on Tanya's shoulder and she relaxed a little.

"You are death eaters. And we can prove it." Potter sneered.

"Go ahead then. Prove it you spoilt prat." Lucinda snarled, pulling up hers and Draco's sleeves to reveal perfect and unblemished skin the colour of fresh snow. Draco was as surprised as everyone else that his dark mark wasn't there.

"Okay. So you two aren't death eaters. What about the other two?" Weasley stumbled for a basis of attack. Blaise hesitated slightly, so Tanya pulled his sleeve up for him.

"Yeah so what about that freak?" said Seairah. Tanya struggled to control her urge to rip Seairah's throat out. She slowly pulled her sleaves up one at a time just to make is seem like she was hesitating. The golden fuck tarts started to smirk thinking they had found a death eater. They were sadly mistaken for the only mark on her arm was a blood red tear drop the point of it resting on her wrist. The dark mark visually branded none of the four Slytherins but the fuck tarts wouldn't drop it.

"what the hells that mark supposed to be? Is it a new brand for you lost little puppies" said the boy who just didn't know when to die. Tanya's eyes started to well with tears

"I put that mark... on me after my.... parents were... brutally... murdered... in front of me... so I would never forget the face of the bastards who killed them. Are you happy now oh fucking chosen one..." The Gryffindors mumbled various insults and dispersed faster than they had accumulated. When they were sure there were no Gryffindors left, Draco turned to Lucinda and Tanya in confusion.

"Where have mine and Blaise's marks gone?" Draco demanded. Lucinda and Tanya turned and started walking again.

"They have gone no where Draco. If you look at your arms again now, you will see that your marks have returned. Tanya and I used a little thing called an illusion charm to stop them seeing your marks."

"And yours and Tanya's marks?" Blaise asked, as he examined Tanya's exposed forearm carefully, waiting for her mark to reappear.

"Mine's a tattoo on my hip and Tanya doesn't have one. She isn't a death eater."

"Yeah right. Seriously Luc, where is her mark?" Blaise thought Lucinda was joking, Draco believed his fiancée.

"Seriously Blaise. I'm not a death eater. Well, I am but I'm not. I haven't taken the mark. But Lucinda and I have been friends practically since birth and the Dark Lord asked me to keep an eye on her. Keep her out of trouble and such. Not that she ever listens." Tanya explained. Blaise understood that. After all, the death eater thing isn't for everyone. By this point they had reached the outskirts of the tiny town.

"We're early." Draco observed, checking the time on the towns clock tower.

"I want to go buy some stuff. Tanya come with me. We will meet you boys in about half an hour at the three broom sticks. We've got forty-five minutes to burn." Lucinda said, turning away from the boys. Draco's voice stopped her.

"We'll come with you. It's not like we've got anything else to do."

"You really wanna go bra shopping?" Lucinda asked sarcastically.

"I think I should have a say in what lingerie my fiancée wears. Don't you agree Blaise?"

"Yes Draco. Can we hurry up?? I'm starved."

"We only just ate breakfast." Draco commented.

"No Draco. You can't come." Tanya said, grabbed Lucinda's wrist and tore off towards the centre of town. The boys looked after them before turning away and making their way to the three broomsticks to sit and have a butter beer and talk about quidditch tryouts. Lucinda had decided not to go out for the team this year, much to Draco's disappointment. They could use a flyer like her on the team. This year's line up was crap. Antonia is a crap captain. Draco always said so and will continue to say so until she finally resigns and names him her predecessor.

"What to choose?" Lucinda mumbled as she looked up at the wall covered in lacy barely-there bras in and the matching thongs. So many different styles and patterns. The colours ranged from red and black to black and white to red and white to black and white with splashes of red. Lucinda was awed at the amount of choices she had. In the cramped shop near her manor she had five choices: red, black or white, padded or not padded (when it came to bras).

"Oh come on! We've been in this goddamned shop for forty minutes already!" Tanya practically yelled, grabbing one of everything, paying at the counter and exiting the shop quickly with the over flowing bag. She glanced behind her to see Lucinda walking out slowly behind her and sent them straight to Lucinda's trunk.

"Let's go meet the boys." Lucinda said distractedly staring at the dark clouds in the sky.

"Looks like rain." Tanya commented as Lucinda sped up, drawing her hood over her head.

"No. Rain clouds have a different disposition. Hurry T. We have to get out of the open. Now." Lucinda ducked into an alley way, Tanya following close behind.

"So, what's between you and Blaise?" Lucinda whispered as she peered around the corner and noticed Potter and Granger slip into the same alley they just had. When she was sure nobody would see them she dashed across the slippery cobble stones and into another covered alley. They would have been two doors from the three broomsticks. Lucinda turned to face Tanya, expectance written all over her face. "Well?"

"I don't quite know L. I think I like him, but then he does or says something stupid and I just feel like hitting him."

"I know the feeling. Although, the last time I felt like that, I killed someone. So I don't think I'm the best person to talk to about that." Lucinda commented laughing. She peered round the corner, making sure the narrow street was crowded before stepping out into the steady stream of student filing into the three broomsticks. She spotted Draco instantly. He waved when he saw her. As she approached the booth he and Blaise were sitting in, Draco moved to make room for her and draped his arm lazily around her shoulders when she sat next to him, holding her firmly against his side.

"Butter beer?" Draco asked, looking down into her hypnotising eyes that were looking up at him.

"Nah. I'll share yours." Lucinda said, taking the neck of the bottle, raising it to her lips and taking a sip. Blaise looked at his watch.

"Come on. Better go. Don't wanna keep your father waiting." Blaise said dryly.

"He will wait. Draco hasn't quite finished his butter beer yet." Lucinda shot back icily.

Draco drained the bottle in one mouthful. Swallowing quickly, he stood and motioned for Blaise to do the same. _It seems the boys are trying to send us a message. _Tanya thought softly_. I wander what it could possibly be? _Lucinda replied sarcastically. _I'm pretty sure they don't wanna get in shit off your dad for keeping us. _Tanya said, looking pointedly at the door. Lucinda tipped her head to the side quizzically. The boys exchanged bewildered looks, as they watched the exchange between the two. _Aka they wanna go and get this meeting over with and we're kinda standing in the way._ Lucinda mentally laughed. _Sitting really, Tanya. They are standing, we are sitting. Come on. Let's go. I think the boys think we are going mental because we seem to be pulling faces at each other._ Lucinda poked her tongue out at Tanya and stood, taking Draco's hand in her own and exiting the establishment.

The frigid air outside was like a slap in the face. The four teens drew their hoods up over their heads, concealing their faces in shadow, and moved toward the small alley that ran along the side of the pub. Stopping in front of the brick wall at the very end, Lucinda pulled out her wand, tapped it against the brick in the centre of the wall and whispered "_Morsmordre_". The mark that they had found burned into Cho Chang's neck appeared on the brick, glowing faintly with an eerie green light. When the light faded, the mark had been burned into the brick. Lucinda pushed the brick very lightly with her index finger and it slid into the wall. The rest of the bricks followed suit, forming a medium sized archway. They walked through the archway and came out in a dark foyer that smelt like rotten vegetables.

"Moss." Tanya hissed.

"Where are we?" Blaise whispered, the harsh sound echoing.

"Riddle Manor, you deviant prat." Lucinda breathed.

"Lucinda!" A thin man with a scraggly beard and grimy face came towards her, looking as if he was going to hug her. Draco slid his arm around her possessively.

"Rodolphus. Where is my father?"

"I don't know miss. But he has been anticipating your arrival."

"I know. NANNY!!" Lucinda called her house elf.

"Jā garām Lucinda?" _(Yes miss Lucinda?)_ Nanny asked, cowering ever so slightly under the young woman's steady gaze.

"Kur ir mans tēvs?" _(Where is my father?)_ Lucinda demanded.

"In pagalmā garām es domāju. Viņš novēlēja mums netraucēt viņu. Viņš uzdeva mums, lai parādītu sevi un savus draugus ar jūsu privātās telpās. Viņš arī vēlējās man pateikt jums, lai varētu gaidīt viņu. Viņš nāks atnest jums, kad tas ir laiks, lai ceremonijā." _(In the courtyard I think miss. He wished us not to disturb him. He instructed us to show yourself and your friends to your private rooms. He also wished me tell you to await him. He will come fetch you when it is time for the ceremony.)_ Nanny replied hesitantly, as if she was afraid what Lucinda might do or say to her for relaying her father's message.

"Man vienalga, ko viņš teica! Jūs rādīt manu draugu uz manu telpu un tad jums būs atrast viņu un pateikt viņam es vēlos runāt ar viņu, viena pati, pirms ceremonijā. Pēc tam jūs dot viņam viņa mācību, vai arī būs ellē jāmaksā! Jūs saprotat ME aukle?!? Sasildīt, lai viņš man tagad vai cits." _(I don't care what he said! You will show my friends to my rooms and then you will go find him and tell him I wish to speak to him, ALONE, before the ceremony. You will then bring him to his study, or else there will be hell to pay! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NANNY?!? Bring him to me NOW or else.) _Lucinda practically screamed at the insolent elf. Her friends exchanged worried glances. Lucinda and her elf seemed to be conversing in a language only they understood and nobody was bothering to explain what was going on to any of them. The elf was shaking from head to foot, bowed low to the ground and disappeared in a fine mist.

"What the bloody hell was all that about?" Blaise asked, shell shocked from the change in language.

"Sorry about that. The bloody elf's Latvian. She can only speak Latvian. Not that she bothers to learn English. If you ever need help with anything, Nanny is the last elf you should ask. Nancy is pretty good though." Lucinda had started strolling up the big staircase that loomed in front of them out of the darkness.

"Oh for heavens sake. Nanny!" Nanny appeared silently.

"Jā garām Lucinda?" (_Yes Miss Lucinda?_)

"Gaismas svecītes un vēlaties redzēt, kur mēs esam notiek!" _(Light the candles and the lanterns. We want to see where we're going!)_ Lucinda had seemingly calmed after her explosion at the elf.

"Bet garām ... jūs tēvs ..." (But miss...you're father...)

"Man vienalga, kāds ir mans tēvs teica! Viņš nav jūsu kapteinis! Es esmu! Jums kalpotu māja Marx. Ne Riddle. Vai, kā es saku!" _(I don't care what my father said!! He is not your master! I am! You serve the house of Marx. Not Riddle. Do as I say!)_ The house elf disappeared, and every candle, every chandelier, every light, every lantern in the house lit itself.

"I hate that elf."

Riddle Manor was beautiful when one could see their surroundings. The banisters of the staircase were ivory, the staircase itself was marble. They turned right into a long and stretching corridor. The walls were hung with portraits. Portraits of every person, living or dead, that possessed Riddle within their veins. Right at the end was a group of portraits that looked new. There was a portrait of a beautiful woman with ebony hair and porcelain skin. Lucinda's grandmother. Next to her portrait was a portrait of Lucinda's mother. Next to her mother was a handsome male with high cheekbones and dark hair. His features appeared chiselled. He had no name plate. Then there was the Dark Lord as a teen and finally Lucinda.

"Who's that?" Draco asked, stopping in front of the painting of the handsome male.

"Someone who doesn't belong there." Tanya sneered. _Lucy, can I have some fun?_ Tanya thought, looking directly at Lucinda. _Of course you can. Fire away._ Lucinda thought back, continuing on down the hallway. When she looked over her shoulder, Tanya threw a ball of fire at the painting of the teen, scorching the surface and blacking out his face. Slowly, Tanya's face replaced the males. Tanya was actually smiling for once, although, her canines were slightly elongated.

They were standing in front of a heavy oak door. Lucinda pushed it open with little effort. They were standing in a large room that held only a large four poster bed, with a black wrought iron bed head and posts that had wrought iron roses climbing the bed posts and a black silk canopy. The bed itself was adorned with black silk sheets and a black doona. Next to the bed was a bedside table that held a lamp with a black shade and a black leather bound book with sliver lettering on the front. About the bedside table was a painting. Within the painting was the most magnificent castle. There were two small figures standing at the front door of the castle, a small girl and a tall woman waving happily at the room. The grounds surrounding the castle were rolling green hills, little spats of forest here and there and rose gardens filled with the most spectacular colours; there was even a little pond just visible near the east tower.

"That's my manor in the summer." Lucinda said, almost painfully.

"It's beautiful." Draco seemed drawn to the painting.

"The people in it are me and my grandmother when I was a child. She used to love the gardens in the summer. She hated the winter. Everything is always covered in a thick blanket of snow. She was convinced at one stage that the snow would kill all her lovely roses. Her lovely roses that are bewitched to devour intruders."

"I now understand why the painting is set so far from the house itself." Blaise shuddered.

"No. It is meant to be set that far away. Father liked to be able to see the roses. He always liked the roses." As Lucinda finished speaking, the picture faded until there was only blank canvas.

Draco looked horrified. _Just wait..._Lucinda thought patiently. And as they watched, the picture faded back into view again, but this time standing in front of the double doors was a single figure. A tall beautiful teenage girl. Lucinda. She wasn't looking out of the painting. In fact, she had her back turned to them. And she looked like she was re-entering the house. She was wearing a fitted black dress with a corset bodice and her hair was in a loose bun at the base of her neck. In short, she appeared to have just come from a funeral. There was an extra bed of roses too. Blood red and midnight black roses smiled towards the sun.

"The painting is charmed to update itself whenever the manor changes hands. I guess I didn't officially own it until then. Although, the picture suggests that I did."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"The painting is set just after Gran's funeral. I went back to the manor and collected my things. I charmed new roses out of the earth over her grave. The rose beds signify one Marx that has died while in ownership of the house."

"No, I meant about the painting being charmed to update itself when the house changes hands. Where did the old painting go?"

"Okay, well, for example, when you and I marry, the painting will have me and you in front of the doors as you will also be in ownership of the manor. And a painting of Malfoy Manor will be hung in my manor as it is also your home, just like a painting of this manor resides in the library in my manor. The old painting most likely went to the library. The walls of the library here are covered, floor to ceiling, with blank canvases. Some of the canvases have pictures on them, most don't."

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter." Lucinda said coldly. A small house elf peeked around the door.

"What is it Twinkles?" Lucinda demanded.

"Miss Lucinda...You're father is very angry at being disturbed miss. He was in the middle of an important meeting miss. He sends Twinky to tell miss that miss must see that her guests are comfortable then Twinky is to show miss to him."

"Where is he Twinky?"

"He is in his secret place miss."

"The family tomb. Of course. How fitting a place to murder his daughter. Very well Twinky. You may go. Tell my father I will be there momentarily."

"Yes miss." And Twinky pulled the door closed behind her, almost catching one of her gigantic ears. Lucinda approached the door to the left of her bed.

"This is my bathroom. You all have a bathroom connecting your rooms, but as it is a communal bathroom, if you are in dire need of the bathroom and someone is already using yours, you are welcome to use mine." Lucinda moved to the door in the far right wall.

"This is the corridor that your rooms branch off of. Each door has a corresponding name plate to the person for whom it is intended. Again, the name plates are also charmed to my father's will. Settle yourselves in your respective rooms. I will be back in a minute." As Lucinda headed back towards the door that led to the main hallway, Draco's fingers encased her wrist.

"What is it Draco?" Lucinda asked

"There isn't a name plate for me."

"Settle in here then for the time being. I'll speak to my father about it." Lucinda said, as she exited the room, and jogged down two flights of stairs to the dungeons.

About halfway along, she found an open cell with fresh blood pooling in the cracks in the flagstone floor. She felt the pang of thirst in her throat as the scent of the blood reached her nose. _So that was the important meeting. He was busy torturing some ministry official or another. _She thought guiltily. She moved past the open cell and followed the scent of the blood. She found the secret exit, surprised that her father would take the body out that way to dispose of it. It was uncharacteristic of him, to say the least. She found him wandering in the woods. At the sight of her father, Lucinda forgot all about her thirst.

"Lucinda. Sweetie. How are you?" The Dark Lord greeted his daughter with a gentle hug that she returned.

"Father. I'm okay I guess. I would like to speak to you. If I may be permitted such a leisure."

"You are my daughter Lucinda. Not another common follower. You do not need permission to speak to me my dear. Walk and talk darling, I'm looking for something I've lost. What is it that's bothering you?"

"A number of things actually."

"Well, I find it easier to start with the most urgent and work my way down the list from there."

"Then I guess I'm starting with Draco."

"You're not still bitter over this whole 'arranged marriage' thing are you?"

"No, no. Of course not. It's just that you didn't allocate him a room, and there is very clearly enough rooms for him to be allocated one."

"Lucinda. He is your fiancée. You should be sleeping in the same bed."

"But dad..."

"No buts young lady. Next thing that's on your mind."

"Draco's mark."

"What about it?"

"I wish it to be removed."

"You know that once a man is marked, he cannot be un-marked."

"No father. You misunderstand me. I wish the mark on his forearm removed. Not that he should be un-marked. I simply mean that he should have a mark like mine. The standard mark is too risky at school. Just a mere hour ago, Tanya and I were forced to use an illusion on a bunch of Gryffindors to hide Draco and Blaise's marks. They completely attacked us. They even called us death eaters in public. Granted, they got a fair kick up the ass when there were no marks on any of us, but Tanya and I were the only two who were not under an illusion. Please dad. Just change Draco's mark to more of a tattoo...like you did mine."

"And what of Blaise's mark?"

"I don't care. Blaise means little to me. But should Tanya approach you about it, would you change Blaise's as well?"

"Probably. Tanya is like a second daughter to me. Much like she is a sister to you. How is your 'little problem'?"

"Fading. The effects of the potion are wearing off. I can feel my thirst fading. And normal food has more of a taste now; it remains slightly solid in my mouth now instead of turning straight to ash. We do have a tiny problem though."

"Which is?"

"Tanya. She also shares my 'little problem'"

"How long does she have left?"

"A year. Maybe a bit more. With Tanya sharing my problem though, we have majority within the council. We may be able to make alliances within the vampire community."

"Does Draco know of your...situation?"

"No. He has no need to. The effects will have fully worn off by the time our wedding day comes around."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Is there anything else my dear? You see, I'm looking for my prisoner."

"Who was it this time? And there are just a couple of last things."

"Bagman. That man just doesn't know when to quit and tell me what I want to know. He hasn't grasped the fact that I won't kill him if he tells me what I need to know. Anyway darling, what was it?"

"It's Dante." The Dark Lord and his daughter stopped walking through the wood. He turned to look at his daughter. Lucinda broke off a stick and started drawing a rose in the dirt. When she didn't say anything else, he picked up the pace again.

"What about Dante?" He walked faster, sniffing the air here and there. They walked in silence for a minute, Lucinda sniffing the air for the scent of blood, as bagman was bleeding heavily. When she smelt nothing, she resumed her train of thought, and conversation.

"Well, I think he's up to no good."

"What kind of no good are we talking about?"

"I'm talking about murder. Gruesome, mutilating murder."

"I'm sure your mother is keeping him out of trouble darling. You worry too much."

"That's just it though. I don't think she is. I don't think he's even living with her anymore."

"What gives you that idea?"

"These murders. They were textbook death eater murders. Except for one thing. There are no marks on the corpses."

"What do you mean?"

"I examined one of the bodies myself. There was plenty of mutilation, pointing towards sadistic death eater murder, but there was no mark. You know how you leave a snake and the letter V burned in your victim's chests as do many of your death eaters? And I leave my butterfly with my saying burned in my victim's necks?"

"Yes darling. Forgive me dear, but I don't see how our killing habits are relevant."

"There was no such mark _anywhere_ on the body."

"At all?"

"At all."

"So what your saying is, someone is killing mass amounts of people, making it look like your standard death eater killing, but not leaving a mark?"

"Yes. And the marks that we leave is not something that the coroner puts in his final report, so it isn't printed. It's just merely stated that it's a death eater killing. Plus I've been having the dreams."

"The dreams? How many so far?"

"I don't know. A few a week I guess."

"For how long?"

"They started two nights after Gran died."

"Right. He has to be stopped. How long do you left on your pointed problem?"

"Anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. I worked out that I'd definitely be done by the wedding though."

"Long enough to convince the vampires to join our cause AND drain Dante completely dry of blood?"

"Possibly. The vampires are being uncharacteristically stubborn. They don't want to get involved in this dad. Their almost as scared of the outcome as we are."

"But they don't want to help."

"They don't think that they can. We don't know when the final battle will come. And if it is during the day, then they are completely useless to us. Plus they will all be burned alive for their allegiance to us if we lose."

"We won't lose. We have you. I don't care what you have to do, get them to join us."

"Yes father."

"There was something else wasn't there my daughter?"

"Yes father."

"What is it?"

"It's about Lilly's death."

"That affected us all. She was such a bright young witch. Such a tragic accident."

"It wasn't an accident." Lucinda said coldly.

"How do you know dear?"

"A) She had us chained to walls in the dungeons of that school and raped repeatedly as punishment. And B) She's Dumbledore's daughter." Lucinda stated simply.

"Okay, fair points, but how do you know that Lilly's death wasn't an accident?"

"I was the only person in the _entire_ school who wasn't in that hall. The whole school was there, yet not one person saw a thing. One minute Lilly was arguing with the Headmistress, the next she's dead. You do the Arithmancy."

"Okay, okay. Here bagman, bagman, bagman. Here bagman, bagman, bagman, bagman. Damned man. Anything else honey?"

"I don't want Snape at the ceremony tonight."

"Why not?" Her father appeared slightly offended at the request.

"I don't trust the slimy haired git. He's a traitor."

"Find me proof that he has turned against us. In the meantime, however, he shall not attend tonight's proceedings if you do not wish his presence."

"I don't. He makes me nervous. Like he's going to up and kill me. I don't like it, I don't like his screwed-in-the-head class and most of all I don't like _him_." Lucinda spun on her heel and re-entered the house. The sun was making its way toward the horizon, throwing beautiful reds and pinks and purples across the sky. Lucinda couldn't stand it. The sun set made her want to puke. _Calm down Luc. You mostly got what you wanted._ Tanya stated patiently. _There's blood in the dungeon if you want it. Hey, maybe if you find bagman, father might let you torture his loose captive._ Lucinda withdrew from the conversation just as she heard Tanya's footsteps running down the dungeon steps.

"Thanks Luc." Tanya said, as she sniffed the blood and continued out of the secret exit, following the scent of the blood. Lucinda carried on up the stairs and into the main hall, up the main staircase and into the library. Screams of '_please don't hurt me! I'll tell you anything you want to know, just don't let her hurt me!_' and '_shut up you miserable excuse for a magical being. Tell him what he wants to know. NOW!! You will die anyway_' could be heard, echoing throughout the manor.

Draco was exploring the manor when he saw Lucinda emerge from the door that lead to the dungeons and hurry up the main staircase. He was contemplating checking out the dungeons when male screaming came drifting up the staircase on a gust of the coldest wind Draco had ever experienced. He quickly turned and trailed his betrothed. She entered the huge library and realised what she meant when she said that the library was covered in blank canvases. Practically every surface that it is capable to hang a painting off had a canvas hung. Some were filled, but most weren't. He slowly wandered around the many shelves, until he came upon a brunette, with a thick book open in her lap and a far away look in her eyes. He sat down opposite her. She didn't notice. She seemed to be watching something that wasn't there, horror stricken.

_Madam Rosmerta came padding down the stairs in a silk dressing gown and pink fluffy bunny slippers. She had called into work sick this morning, and gotten her sister to cover her as she just couldn't be bothered going into work. He rang the doorbell again, getting impatient. She threw open the door, spilling light onto the stoop where he stood._

"_Why are you here boy?" She asked, slightly creeped out. He beheld a striking resemblance to his mother. Except the chocolate brown hair. That was his father's hair._

"_I was wondering if I might have a word. It's about my father." The boy spoke stiffly and formally, as if he hadn't spent his childhood in the house of which he was standing on the stoop._

"_No. No. No. You cant. No. You shouldn't be here. Go. Go before anybody sees you." Madam Rosmerta tried to shut the door. Honest she did. But he was unnaturally strong and he quickly over powered the woman. He reached into his back pocket and withdrew a chakram, raising his arm and aiming with deadly accuracy as she tried desperately to run from him. There was only one way to go – up the stairs. The stairs were so straight a bad archer could have shot straight up them and met no obstacle. But he was no bad archer. He was trained in his art. He was good at it. And he loved using it to destroy. _

_He released the chakram with all the power in his tensed arm. The chakram embedded itself deep into her back. She yelped and fell forward on the stairs, dragging herself with her arms; she tried so desperately to escape him. He walked slowly and deliberately up the stairs towards her and placed his heavy, spiked boot in the middle of her back, pushing down with all his weight and embedding the spikes deep into the flesh of her back. He felt the resistance the stairs were responsible for and heard ear splitting crack after ear splitting crack as each and every one of her ribs broke. She cried out in pain. He laughed. He reached down, grasping the hair at the back of her neck and yanking hard upwards, causing her to yell for help. He slammed her face into the stairs again and again and again. Until, finally, she was still and silent. _

_He left her there. Dead on her stairs. He walked out the front door and down the street, leaving the front door wide open. Behind him he heard the horrified screams as, one by one, the villagers came upon her dead and mangled corpse. He had felt an odd thrill at watching the light leave her eyes as he repeatedly slammed her face against her own stairs. He had become addicted to the high. The high that killing gave him. Other kids he knew got their high from heroin or ecstasy or getting drunk and having a one night stand with some poor stupid blonde that didn't know any better._

Lucinda's eyes snapped back into focus. She slowly closed the book and gently lay it on the floor, curling up in her arm chair and drifting off to sleep. Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, Tanya had also seen everything. And accidentally killed Ludo Bagman. She looked down to the corpse in front of her.

"I'm sorry my lord. I was distracted momentarily." Tanya dropped the limp, lifeless body and stepped away from it.

"That's fine Tanya. He told me what I needed to know anyway. Just before you killed him, but I now know."

Two hours later, Lucinda awoke to Draco gently shaking her arm. She opened her eye lids slowly and sat up with some difficulty. She looked down to see she was in the dress she had worn to her grandmother's funeral. It was black and fitted with a corset bodice and had silvery lines all over the surface.

"Why am I wearing this dress?" Lucinda demanded.

"I don't know. Tanya picked it." Draco explained. _Don't be mad Lucinda. That was the only dress in your cupboard._ Tanya's voice rang through her mind.

"What time is it?"

"Time to go down to the courtyard for the ceremony." Draco replied, dutifully offering her his hand. She stood and looped her arm through his before opening the window and stepping out of it, landing gracefully in the middle of the circle of death eaters that had formed around the small cobble stoned court yard.

"Lucinda. You have arrived. With your fiancée I see. Have you discussed bedding arrangements with him yet? I know how much you like the left side of your bed." Lord Voldemort asked, his eyes glittering mischievously.

"No father. I have not. Can we please carry on?" Lucinda demanded, drawing her wand.

"Very well." Voldemort produced a copy of the Holy Bible. Tanya took a tiny step back. Tanya was wearing a nice, white stain dress with a corset bodice that had a spider web pattern skittering across the fabric in black thread. Blaise was discernable among the many silver masks and black robes. Draco was wearing a black, long sleeved button up shirt and black pants, but remained unmasked. Lucinda knew what she had to do with the Bible, she just wished that he hadn't chosen this particular ritual to perform out of the dozens that she had been forced to study extensively as a child. Contrary to popular belief, Lucinda had grown up with her father. Voldemort placed the Bible on the ground in front of his daughter.

"In the name of the Lord I disgrace thee," Lucinda sprinkled enchanted dirt on the cover. The cover fizzed and crackled,

"With God as my witness I destroy thee," Lucinda picked up the book and bit it, causing black ink to seep into every page. She placed it back on the ground,

"In the name of the Lord I will wreak havoc and chaos wherever I go," Lucinda lit a match and dropped it on the book,

"With God as my witness I will kill, torture and destroy anything and everyone in the way of myself or my goals. In the name of the Lord of Darkness and with God as my witness I declare, in the wake of this ritual I am the one and only Princess of Darkness. I am the daughter of the Dark Lord and proud to be so. I will do everything in my power to ensure my family live on. May the darkness live on. Let the light go to hell and the dark remain on earth to thrive. May the un-pure rot in our dungeons and beg for our mercy. May the pure-bloods live for eternity and stay in their rightful place." All that was left of the Holy Bible was a small pile of ashes which Lucinda blew into the wind, scattering them in every which way. Draco entered the circle and grasped Lucinda's hand.

"This is my daughter. Lucinda Anne Victoria Marx. Bow before her." Voldemort barked at his death eaters. Draco sank to his knees beside her, as did every cloaked figure. Tanya just looked at Voldemort as if to say 'are you mental? There is no way I'm bowing to anyone in these heels.'

"Get up off your knees Draco. Your my fiancée. You do not bow to anyone, least of all me." Lucinda said, gently pulling Draco to his feet, "You are my equal Draco. Rise Blaise. You do not bow before me either. Father? Remember what we discussed before?" Lucinda looked pointedly at Draco.

"Yes darling. I remember. Draco, hold out you left arm." Voldemort commanded. Draco did as he was told.

"Lucinda. You may do it. It was you who requested this after all."

"Lucinda?" Draco asked confused as she rolled up his left sleeve, exposing his dark mark and drawing her wand.

"Don't worry Draco. It's like taking a shower." Lucinda said gently as she ever so carefully siphoned off his mark.

"I don't understand Lucinda. Why did you take my mark away? Did I do something to upset yourself or your father?"

"Silly Draco. No. I want you to be able to wear short sleeved shirts again. Short sleeves will show off your muscles much better. Now take off your shirt." Lucinda said, as she passed her wand to Tanya and began unbuttoning Draco's shirt, pushing it off his shoulders. She placed her hands on his hips as she observed his muscled torso carefully. Mmm nice...I wish I could fuck him senseless right now...Lucinda thought. HEY!! KEEP THOSE THOUGHTS TO YOURSELF!! Tanya screamed at her. I'm sorry T.

"Now, what creature would you like and where?" Lucinda asked, running her hands over his toned stomach and muscled arms.

"Pardon me?" Draco asked, clearly confused.

"For your mark. What creature and where?" Lucinda explained, getting a tiny bit impatient.

"You mean your giving me a mark like yours?"

"Yes. Now pick."

"Umm a dragon in flight and across my shoulder blades?" Draco decided. Lucinda gently turned him so his back was facing her. Tanya handed her back her wand.

"This might be a bit uncomfortable. It's like warm water running over your skin." Lucinda pressed her wand to the middle of Draco's back and closed her eyes, imagining one of his drawings of a dragon in flight. The surrounding death eaters gasped. As she imagined his dragon in her minds eye, the dragon spread across his skin from her wand tip. The dragon was silver and 'Draco' was written beneath the dragon in midnight black cursive.

"Now, when you mark a victim Draco, your silver dragon will appear wherever you press your wand on their body." Voldemort explained, as Lucinda opened her eyes and admired her handiwork, handing Draco his shirt.

At about 11.30 that night, as Draco and Lucinda lay in Lucinda's bed with Lucinda curled at his side with one arm wrapped around his waist, the other laying on his bare chest. Draco's arm wrapped around her shoulders, Draco complimented her dragon.

"There's just one thing I don't get though." Draco said, turning his head to look at her.

"What's that?" Lucinda asked, taking in his scent and the way she just felt so safe in his arms.

"I can't feel that spot on my back." Draco frowned. Lucinda laughed.

"Yeah, your tattoo will be numb for a couple of weeks." Lucinda pushed his hair back off his face and lifted herself up on one elbow, so she was slightly above him. He lazily traced small patterns on her bare arm with his fingertips, little bursts of goose bumps erupting along her skin in the wake of his fingers. A strand of her long hair escaped her bun, falling onto Draco's face. He took the hair in his hand and lifted it to his nose before tucking securely back into her bun.

"Your hair smells like apples." Draco whispered as Lucinda's face inched closer to his, her eyes flicking from his eyes to his lips and back again.

"I know." Lucinda breathed as she closed the space between them and pressed her soft lips against his velvety ones. His tongue traced her lower lip, begging entrance to her mouth. She parted her lips, granting him the access he craved. He rolled her over so she was on her back and he was positioned over her. Her thin silk nearly there night gown that came to mid thigh was all that separated his roaming hands from her milky skin. He held himself over her in such a way so as to not put too much of his weight on her. The door banged against the door wall loudly. Lucinda jumped and gasped, breaking the kiss. Draco's first instinct was to roll off her (he always followed his instincts to a t.), while hers was to wrap the blankets around herself securely.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't know I was...interrupting anything...I just needed...the bathroom..." Blaise stuttered.


	5. Anyone But Rosie!

_Anyone But Rosie!!_

"Lucinda" A voice whispered at her. She didn't recognise it.

"Lucinda" It hissed again. She rolled over so her back was facing the 'being'.

"Lucinda!" It exclaimed, shaking her shoulder roughly. She reflexively shot her hand out. Her hand was cutting off circulation to the intruders wrist before said intruder had time to flinch.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Lucinda said threateningly, gripping a little harder she could feel the bone beneath her hand begin to give way.

"It's me. Kerry. Lucinda...hurry...you have to come with me..." Kerry tried to pull her hand out of Lucinda's ironclad grasp.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. You tried to make my life at NPMA a living hell." Lucinda released Kerry's hand, causing Kerry to fall noisily to the floor.

"Please Lucinda. It's Rosie." Kerry pleaded. Lucinda bolted up in bed and looked across to the bed to the left of hers. It was empty. Tanya wasn't there. Lucinda's face took on a pallid complexion.

"What about Rosie?" Lucinda hissed, placing a silencing charm on the other four occupants of the room. Kerry just shook her head and began to cross the room towards the window. Lucinda beat her there and grasped her shoulders tightly.

"WHAT ABOUT ROSIE???" Lucinda screamed, shaking Kerry's shoulders violently.

"She's...she's...she's..." Kerry stuttered, bursting into tears. Lucinda had never seen Kerry cry before. Except when someone died. She was really affected by death.

"You are not saying what I think your saying....Are you?" Lucinda was severely shaken.

"Rosie's dead Lucinda. Her funeral's today." Kerry broke down completely and slid to her knees, in a crying hiccoughing mess.

"No. Not Rosie. Please not Rosie. Anyone but Rosie. Not Rosie." Lucinda mumbled over and over again, it became almost like a mantra.

"Her funeral's being held at the school in two hours." Kerry whispered as she plunged through the dorm door and out into the castle. Lucinda was running on automatic. _Tanya...Tanya..._Lucinda prodded with her mind.

"What? I _was_ hunting you know." Tanya appeared thoroughly annoyed, though sensing something horribly wrong.

"What's wrong?" Tanya asked carefully.

"Rosie. She's...she's...she's..." Lucinda gulped in air.

"Rosie. She's dead." Lucinda muttered, tears streaming down her face in torrents. Tanya looked horrified. In one minute flat, Lucinda was wearing a flattering black strapless knee-length dress with black heels and matching stud earrings. Tanya was wearing a similar outfit, except the dress had bell sleeves, her shoes and earrings were silver and she wore a silver bracelet. Lucinda looked at herself in the mirror. Her outfit was beautiful, but her face was a wreck. She looked like she'd been forced to kiss Wormtail.

"Here. Let me fix your face." Tanya said gently. Waving her wand in circular motions in the air in front of Lucinda's face, repeating the actions for herself. When Tanya was done, Lucinda had silver eye shadow, thick black eye liner and mascara and clear lip gloss. Tanya had grey eye shadow and a smidgen of eye liner and mascara but not much with the same clear lip gloss. Staring at herself in the mirror, something seemed to click inside Lucinda and she went into death mode. Tanya recognised the efficiency with which Lucinda moved toward the dorm room door. She recognised it from when she'd gone to stay with Lucinda after both their families were killed. Lucinda had this disconnected look, like she was stuck in a nightmare she couldn't escape from. It was all too similar for Tanya.

*Flashback*

_Tanya had just moved into the Marx Manor._

_Tanya had her own wing and everything she could ever wish for. Except her family back. Tanya's family had all been burnt alive. _

_She had seen the whole thing. She often had nightmares about that night. When she moved in with Lucinda, it had only been a few days after their deaths._

_And just a week after Lucinda's grandmother's funeral. Lucinda gave Tanya all the sleeping potions she would ever need to have a dreamless sleep._

_Truth was, she wasn't sleeping all that much. Then again, neither was Lucinda. Lucinda seemed so distant in the weeks between the funeral and the beginning of first term at Hogwarts. Lucinda had seemed to have no purpose after her grandmother died. They had both fallen victim to a shallow depression when Lilly Malfoy, one of their best friends, was killed. _

_Then both their families at once. Everyone on Lucinda's dad's side of the family were captured, held prisoner and tortured first for information then for fun and eventually they were tortured to death. When their families were murdered, they both fell into a very deep depression. _

_They had no purpose until they started Hogwarts, the emotions from their family's murders still very raw. Their purpose then was to assimilate. And appear the semblance of normalcy._

*End of flashback*

Lucinda hadn't shed a single tear when her grandmother or Lilly died. Tanya had been the one to cry then. Now it was Lucinda's turn. The tears wouldn't stop flowing. She cried all the way to the portrait of the fat lady. She was dozing. Tanya trailed Lucinda silently. Wondering all the while where the hell she was going. When they arrived she suddenly knew exactly where she was going. She was going to get Seairah. Lucinda took careful aim at the portrait with her wand and the whole thing splintered horribly. Thankfully it was about four in the morning so everyone was asleep. Tanya decided to stay out of Mudblood Central. Lucinda crept inside and sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dorm. She wrenched every pair of curtains open until she found the face for which she searched. Once located, Lucinda started to shake her roughly. When that yielded no affect, she jumped on Seairah's bed. The latter having the desired affect of waking the slumbering teen.

"WhatthehellLucinda?" Seairah asked, still half asleep.

"Rosie's dead." Lucinda said bluntly as she dragged the now weeping girl from her bed and magically made her presentable then yanked her downstairs to Tanya.

"You ready now?" Tanya asked impatiently

"Yes. Let's go." Lucinda said, turning on the spot and disappearing with a loud crack. They arrived at the dining hall of NPMA. Aka the centre of hell itself. Lucinda shuddered.

"Argh. I hate this place with a passion." Lucinda whispered.

"Yeah, me too. Where is everyone?" Tanya wondered aloud.

"I don't know. Kerry said something about the funeral being held here though."

"Kerry was the one who told you?"

"Yes. Even though I don't like her...She seemed genuine enough." As Lucinda uttered the last syllable, a precession of youngsters of about seven or eight marched into the hall and sat cross legged on the flagstones. _I thought you said it didn't start for another two hours!_ Tanya yelled mentally. _I didn't say anything about starting times._ Lucinda replied. _Well, you were thinking it._ Tanya laughed audibly. _Kerry must've got her times mixed up. _The hall had filled noticeably around them, the three of them sat quickly, eager not to be noticed.

"Quiet children!!" The headmistress strode up the small aisle that had been formed haughtily. Tanya placed her hand on Lucinda's shoulder. A visible restraint to stop Lucinda from reaching for her wand. The headmistress took the podium.

"Rosemary was a good student." Was all that good for nothing worthless piece of shit vermin turd bitch of a headmistress had to say. Lucinda stood angrily and marched to the podium.

"Rosie was a kind girl. She was a forgiving girl. She was talented. She played both the piano and the guitar, she often trained with me for quidditch matches even though she wasn't on the team though in my opinion she should've been, she could draw ten times better than anybody else I know. She was a good student. But an even better friend. Rosie was quiet, most called her shy or withdrawn. But she wasn't. She was just quiet. She didn't speak much unless she had an opinion on something or you asked her a direct question or she knew you really well. Rosie had this way of making everyone around her feel insignificant and petty. Even though she rarely spoke. She never said a harsh word against anyone, nor would she ever hurt another living thing. But it was more than that. Rosie had a real passion for sticking up for her friends. But really, all she had to do was glance in the direction of a nasty scene and the situation would diffuse immediately. She was gifted, Rosie was. And she's been taken from us far too early. She would have done great things with her life in the future. Maybe she would've even gone on to save the world. Who knows. But I do know one thing. I will always remember her and the things she did and did well. I will cherish her memory because Rosie isn't easy to forget. I was privileged to be her friend." Lucinda walked back to her seat, head held high with tears running freely and proudly down her face. After Lucinda's little unplanned speech, there was a band who played some of Rosie's favourite songs, a slideshow with pictures of her throughout her life and more speeches. By the end of the 'funeral' there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Even people who didn't know her were crying.


	6. Home Sweet Home

_HOME SWEET HOME_

I'm going to refer to Lucinda as either Lucy OR Lucinda from now on. Lucinda is just SOOO long to type and my fingers get numb faster, which means shorter chapters and I hate writing short chapters.

Thankyou T for bugging me to write (but not necessarily post) more on this story, and then reading it after skool and telling me what I needed to change...so thanks tonnes T and good luck for your trials.

Chapter Song:- Cinderella by I5 (International 5)

Luc xox

_**Student exchange candidates**__: __**Slytherin**__: - Lucinda Marx, Draco Malfoy, Tanya Fulton and Blaise Zambini and Antonia Van Asperen. __**Gryffindor**__:- Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Seairah Hailey and Harry Potter. __**Ravenclaw**__:- Tiarna Ryan and Brian McDougal. __**Hufflepuff**__:- Marcus Giza and Alivera Maxum. __**Miss Marx, Mr Malfoy and Miss Fulton and Miss Van Asperen**__ – the Carroll's. __**Mr Zambini**__ – the Burton's. __**Miss Hailey and Mr Potter**__ – the O'Leary's. __**Miss Ryan**__ – the Puff's. __**Mr McDougal**__ – the Wanahaka's. __**Mr Giza**__ – the Brown's. __**Miss Maxum **__– the Vincent's. I think this will be a good opportunity for all selected. __I chose five from Slytherin because I believe they are not particularly trustworthy and it may benefit them the most. And the reason behind the four from Gryffindor is so that they can keep a better eye on the Slytherins. _Lucinda read. _So this is what the old geezer has been cooking up_ She thought.

"Hurry up Luc...I think someone's coming!" Draco's voice floated through the door.

"Just a sec!" Lucinda called back, unsure if he had heard her or not, she scanned the rest of the page for the destination and date. December 29. Finley, NSW, Australia. _Oh hell..._Lucinda thought, a heavy feeling curling in her stomach.

Twenty minutes later Lucinda and Draco were sitting on the floor in an empty classroom on the fourth floor around a small blue fire, waiting for Tanya and Blaise. They were a little worse for wear. Lucinda had twigs in her hair and Draco had a small scratch on his left cheek.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Draco asked quietly. It was way past curfew at about one in the morning.

"Sorta." Lucinda's head whipped towards the door as it opened slowly as to avoid the squeaky hinges. Tanya and Blaise poked their heads around the door and surveyed the room, spotting the two teens seated on the floor.

"What'd you find Luc?" Blaise asked, as they made themselves comfortable on the floor.

"Dumbledore's plan for us."

"Which is?" Draco asked, stretching his hands out towards the fire and wiggling his fingers in an effort to warm them.

"Two words. Student exchange."

"What?"

"It's where we go to another country and live with another family. I've never heard of the families that we're to stay with, so I'm assuming that their muggles."

"Why would he do that to us?"

"He's planning something. He's planning something and he doesn't want us here when it goes down."

"Do you know where we're going?" Tanya asked. It was the first time she'd said more than 'hello' and 'yes' or 'no' since that night a few days ago.

"Finley, Australia."

"Isn't that where...?" Tanya looked straight up into Lucinda's eyes.

"Yes. It is."

"When?" Tanya's voice had taken an icy edge to it.

"December twenty-ninth."

"We're supposed to be getting married on December twenty-ninth!!" Draco yelled. Blaise shushed him.

"I know Dray...We're just going to have to postpone. I mean, it's not like anything has been arranged yet. The invites haven't even been sent out."

"Have you even picked the paper for the invites yet?" Tanya said sarcastically.

"I have to pick out paper?" Lucinda asked, confused.

"And font," Blaise added, "And colour scheme and venue and your dress and hair and makeup and wedding party and which death eaters to invite and which ones not to invite and flowers and balloons _and then_ there's the reception."

"Wow. There's a tonne of crap to do." Lucinda sighed.

"How do you know so much about weddings Blaise?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"When I was old enough...about six or seven...my mum made me help her plan her numerous weddings..." Blaise explained self consciously.

"That's kinda disturbing." Tanya, Lucinda and Draco chorused.

"I know...Look; we're going home tomorrow...well today really. I'm guessing that Dumbledore will tell us about this student exchange thing at breakfast. Who knows? Might even be fun."

"Uh huh. You have just officially lost your marbles. On lighter business, are you and Blaise coming to stay at mine for Christmas Draco?" Lucinda enquired.

"I am. I don't know about Blaise though."

"I'll have to ask my mum and this month's dad. You're parents are cool with you missing the traditional Malfoy Christmas bash Draco?"

"Yeah. They think that staying at Lucinda's will be a good opportunity to get to know her better, if you know what I mean. Besides the dark lord is staying at my place so the Christmas ball will be held at either my mansion or Lucinda's."

"Yeah...I don't know...Umm I think it'll probably be at your place. Mine's a bit full as it is." Lucinda laughed.

*5.30 am*

Lucinda's eyes stirred beneath her eyelids.

_She stood there. Just ahead of him. She was standing so still. Like she was expecting someone. She held her wand tightly at her side. She was wearing a white floor-length light cotton slip with matching high heels. Her skin was so pale it was practically glowing in the dim light, her black hair falling down her back in a thick rope. He took a step toward her. A twig snapped under his foot and he froze. She spun around and lit the tip of her wand, wide eyed and terrified, she rotated in a slow, deliberate circle, analysing every shadow, every bush, every dead leaf. He stepped towards her again. She relaxed when she saw him._

"_Dante" she breathed his name as if he was some kind of god. As if he was something other than what he was. As if his name alone could solve all her problems. She walked quickly to him and threw her arms around his neck. He lowered his head to her neck, as if to kiss it. As his lips grazed her neck, he reached for a dagger at his belt and plunged it deep into her back. Her shrill, piercing scream echoing through the clearing._

Lucinda's eyes flew open. She felt restricted around her waist. She looked down and found a pale arm thrust around her middle, holding her close to the body that belonged to the arm. The body was warm. _And not wearing a shirt_ she noted with surprise. She twisted around to look at her 'capture' and was met with his piercing silver eyes looking back at her.

"Morning." Draco muttered, as he tightened his arm around her. She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes, inhaling his intoxicating scent, allowing it to fill her senses and send her back to the land of dreams. Draco had a calming effect on her. The ghost of her dream lingering on the edge of her subconscious.

"What were you dreaming about?" Draco's voice was unexpectedly loud in her ear.

"Can't remember. Why?"

"You were talking."

"What'd I say?"

"Not much. 'Don't', 'stay away', 'leave'. That kinda thing."

"Ahh. Ok. Not a clue. Sorry Dray." She got no response. The steady rise and fall of his chest telling her that he had fallen asleep.

"Pssst." Came from somewhere to Lucinda's left.

"Pssst." Now it sounded like it came from behind her.

"Lucinda." The voice was definitely behind her.

"Are you awake?" It was Tanya.

"Yeah. Why?" Lucinda hissed.

"You had another dream didn't you?"

"Not now Tanya."

"But Lucinda..." Lucinda fell into unconsciousness listening to Draco's breathing.

Twenty minutes later Lucinda was vaguely aware of somebody roughly shaking her arm in a vain attempt to wake her.

"Leave her. She won't wake up until she wants to." Someone whispered harshly to her right. Lucinda would know that voice anywhere. Tanya.

"I'm awake I'm awake." Lucinda mumbled grumpily, looking around her in confusion. She was lying on the cold hard stone floor of a classroom. An empty classroom. _Was I drunk??_ She wondered bewildered by the notion that she had fallen asleep in a classroom, let alone on the floor. _No. Just very badly wounded mentally at the thought of student exchange to the very town that your mother happens to live and teach in at this point in time._ Tanya's voice echoed clearly in her head.

"Come on Luc, time to go home." Draco whispered in her ear, grabbing her arm firmly but gently and pulling her to her feet.

"What happened to breakfast?" Lucinda asked softly, placing a hand to her throbbing forehead. _What was your dream Lucinda Anne? I know it's still on your mind. Tell me!_ Tanya screamed at her in her head. _Tell you later._ Lucinda responded, gripping her head tighter in an attempt to stop the pain. Needless to say it didn't work.

"That's where we're going. Do you want to stay here?" Blaise asked, looking at her carefully.

"In a dirty classroom Blaise? Not likely. Do you want to go back to the common room?" Draco gripped her to his side anxiously. _You look like your about to pass out._ Tanya's voice stated softly in the back of Lucinda's mind.

"I feel like it T." Lucinda muttered, earning worried looks from both boys.

"Let's just go to breakfast." Tanya said quickly, opening the door to the classroom. Draco exited the room first with Lucinda leaning heavily against him to hold her upright, her dream from the night before had weakened her both mentally and physically. Followed by Blaise and Tanya.

The corridor was crowded and bustling so they took a secret passage hidden behind a tapestry of the first and most ancient of all the dragons. The quiet of the corridor slightly helped the pounding of Lucinda's head. The world was spinning uncontrollably around her and she couldn't tell which way was up. If it weren't for Draco half carrying her, she wouldn't be in an upright position. When they reached the doors of the great hall, the spinning had stopped and it looked to others as if Draco was merely walking with his arm around her waist, which was a vast improvement. As they took a seat Dumbledore stood and took his place at his owled podium.

"Good morning everyone! I trust you slept well? Well, the staff and I have decided to give you all the day off. You will be put on the train in about three hour's time. For those of you who need to owl parents, I suggest you do so immediately after breakfast. I also have another surprise for the sixth years. You will all be going on student exchange. So that means that quidditch will be cancelled for the season that was due to start three weeks into next term. It also means that today is the last day of the year. For those not attending exchange, you will be sent your work via owl to work under your parent's instruction. For those staying for Christmas, you have the option of remaining on campus to continue using the schools facilities. The train will run as normal for those wishing to return, which I would imagine, wouldn't be many of you.

I have selected the students that will be going on exchange from each house. I don't want those selected to come whining to me about being selected. My decision is final and there is no way that any of you can 'get out of it'. My selections are as follows. From Slytherin, Lucinda Marx, Tanya Fulton, Antonia Van Asperen, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zambini. From Gryffindor, Hermione Granger, Seairah Hailey, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. From Ravenclaw, Tiarna Ryan and Brian McDougal. From Hufflepuff, Marcus Giza and Alivera Maxum. Congratulations. You will be on this exchange for a year and _will_ be expected to arrive by muggle transport. You will receive the details closer to the departure date. Be warned, _all of you_. _Any_ misbehaviour, _**AT ALL**_, and you _will_ be severely punished. Have a good day pupils." Dumbledore dismounted his podium and strode out the doors, his robe twitching slightly as he walked.

"Gah. Muggle transport. I hate him. I really do." Blaise mumbled through a mouthful of toast.

"Don't speak with your mouth full. It's gross." Tanya muttered absentmindedly, chewing on a bit of toast herself.

"Besides, we have more important things to worry about." Lucinda whispered, staring blankly at her cereal.

"If everyone will excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom." Tanya muttered as she slipped away from the table and out the doors, without being noticed.

"She is so strange." Blaise mumbled to himself, taking another bite of toast.

Lucinda pushed away from the table before anybody could say anything and strode out the great hall and into the grounds.

"When are we going to talk about what happened?" A voice sounded from behind her.

"When are we going to talk about what that happened when?" She recanted.

"So is that how it's going to be then?" The voice sounded wounded. She turned to look deep into the silvery depths of his gorgeous eyes.

"No, Draco. But I refuse to talk about it at school." Lucinda said, striding purposefully away from him, leaving him looking solemnly after her.

She slid her earphones out of her pocket and into her ears as she slipped her heavy school robe off and took off at an evenly paced run around the boundaries of the grounds. She loved the escape that running provided her. She began running when her parents started fighting and it became part of her early morning routine at home during the summer holidays. The song was her world, her world was the song. She heard nothing except the song, felt nothing except its steady rhythmic beat pulsing through her body and driving her body forward. This was how she had learnt to block out everything bad in her life: her parents non-stop fighting, her parents divorce, her family being murdered one by one. Everything slipped away from her mind, just as the ground slipped beneath her feet.

Images from the past few months flashed before her eyes, her and Draco laughing in the back of Potions while Tanya was bent over an ingredient, her and Draco strolling through the grounds hand in hand, her and Draco splashing around in the lake laughing like maniacs, her and Draco walking through Hogsmeade in the snow, Draco commenting how lovely the snow was when it was freshly fallen, Draco looking into her eyes before she fell asleep in his arms, her and Draco curled up on the hearth in the common room sitting in each others arms, Draco kissing her, Draco's hands roaming over her body, Draco lifting her shirt over her head and Draco's hands tangled in her hair. Lucinda's eyes filled with tears. The image of a black box, with an intricately carved lid and golden latch appeared before her closed eyes and she immediately realised what had been happening, as did the other occupant of her mind. Somebody was watching her and rifling through her memories.

She stopped running, tugged her earphones out of her ears and looked around, confused. She was in the most deserted part of the grounds. No windows overlooked the grounds and the towers were on the other side of the castle. A bush rustled near her. She shot a stunning spell towards it and heard a muffled thump. A clear signal that it had hit something. She crept toward the bush as an arm shot out and encircled her neck from behind, causing her to drop her wand in shock. Another hand covered her mouth. _Perfect._ She thought, biting hard on her assailant's hand, drawing blood. _Control yourself Lucinda _Tanya's voice rang clearly through her mind. Her attacker cursed repeatedly, his hold on her weakening. He began to groan, dropping to the ground and curling into a ball. She turned and pressed her bare foot to his throat. She had the shock of her life when the raggedy, mousy brown curtain parted and staring up at her was the sneering face of one Remus Lupin.

"Hurts like hell huh?" Lucinda questioned, putting a bit more pressure against his throat. He nodded slightly.

"Hurts more than fifty Cruciatus curses all cast at once." He muttered.

"Doesn't surprise me. The pain will get worse as the venom spreads. I've heard that people stronger than you have died from the pain alone, and they only had a very small dose of the poison in their system. I don't imagine you'll be alive for much longer."

"What are you?" Lupin hissed, pain dripping thick ooze from every word.

"None of your fucking business. Now, what to do with you? Ah, I know..." Lucinda pressed her fingertips to his left temple and within 2.5 seconds, it was as if he had never been there. Lucinda wandered over to the bush to see what she had hit. It was a small animal. _Meh._ Lucinda picked it up and slung it over her shoulder, making a mental note to sling it in Tanya's direction.

They boarded the train at about 12:30. Tanya and Lucy found a compartment, while the boys went to find some food. Having given the students the day off, the muggle-loving fool the board of governors have the nerve to call a headmaster had sent the house elves home, so nobody had eaten lunch and the whole train was starving. Lucy sat down in the furthest compartment from the front she could find and cast a silencing charm on it.

"Tell me." Tanya demanded as she stowed all four trunks in the luggage racks and sat down in the seat opposite Lucy.

"Tell you? Tell you what?" Lucy flicked through a magazine she found on the seat beside her. It was a copy of the quibbler and laughed at the candidates the pathetic rag had come up with for The Dark Lord's daughter. _So, they know I'm here, they just don't know who I am...interesting..._Lucinda thought as she flicked the page and saw Potters face looking back at her. The magazine burst into flames, making Tanya jump slightly.

"Don't play dumb Luc...Tell me about your dream."

"Okay, fine. There was a pretty girl and she was stabbed in the back. Literally."

"Anything else?" Tanya asked suspiciously eyeing the smouldering ashes of what was once a magazine.

"Yeah. The murderers Dante."

"Dante? As in...?"

"Dante. As in my brother Dante."

"But..."

"He was supposed to follow my mother. I was supposed to follow my father and he was supposed to follow my mother into the order of the goddamned bloody phoenix."

"Why would your mother join the order of the fucked-in-the-head-fuck-ups?"

"To show that she had really turned her back on my father. That and she's a shadow hunter. She's supposed to fight on the side of good, not evil. I suppose I chose my father over her at three years old so she took my brother and ran to the order of the prats with some sob story or other and they believed her and swore both her and my brother in. When my father fell she wouldn't have me, so my grandmother took me in and trained me up to be a right little death eater. And then you know my story from there."

"I'm sorry your brother's such a git."

"It's all good. It just means I have some cleaning up to do."

"Just cleaning or Cleaning cleaning?"

"Cleaning cleaning. I don't want this brat coming back to haunt me. He is that bitter that he would come back and haunt me."

"True. The guys are back." As Tanya spoke, Draco and Blaise opened the door to the compartment and entered with four floating platters hovering obediently behind them.

"Hello ladies. How are we this fine afternoon?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"Ladies? Where?" Lucinda asked, taking the tray Draco offered her.

"Man, that line was sooo long! I thought we'd never eat!" Blaise complained as he sat and began 'eating'. Or what looked like eating anyway...

"Hey, I heard that we're getting two newbie's. It true Luc?" Tanya asked, with a slight hitch in her voice.

"Yeah. Two shadow hunter kids. Their going to be introduced at the ball tonight. Their not going to be initiated til next week though."

"Have you told your father about the wedding thing yet?" Draco asked, sliding his arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Not yet. I didn't think that was the kind of thing that you would put in a letter to my father. He might accidently kill someone."

"True."

The four of them sat silently for the rest of the way to kings cross station, each occupied with their own thing. Lucy was staring at the scenery, imagining the satisfaction she would get from burning it all to the ground, Tanya was imagining what form her next meal might take, Blaise was trying to memorise every line of Tanya's face and Draco was trying to draw Lucy, but he couldn't quite get the expression in her eyes right as it was more a mixture of sadness and sadistic happiness with hints of regret here and there, all in all, reasonably hard to perfect. A voice suddenly echoed throughout the cabin.

"The students that have been selected to participate in the student exchange program are to report to the headmaster's carriage immediately." Blaise was looking around madly, climbing on the seats and into the luggage racks trying to find the source of the voice. Lucinda, Tanya and Draco watched him curiously, looking at him as if he was mad.

"There's a speaker up here. I didn't know there were speakers on the train. Did you lot?" Blaise asked as he fell bodily out of the luggage rack, landing with a thump at Tanya's feet.

"Blaise. If we knew what a speaker was, then we'd be able to tell you whether or not we knew about it. So at this point in time, no. We didn't. Nor do we really care." Draco spoke softly, turning to a new page and deciding to draw a landscape rather than the object of his attention.

"A speaker is like a meshy thing that amplifies a voice. A speaker works much like an amplification spell. Just kinda different." Blaise muttered, hauling himself off the ground.

"How in merlins pants do you know that?" Lucinda scowled, finally focusing on something other than the landscape slipping by.

"Muggle studies." Blaise whispered.

"Come on people. Immediately has passed and turned into as soon as possible. We don't want it to turn into when it's convenient." Tanya mumbled, standing abruptly and slipped out of the compartment, the other three followed in a sulky silence. When they arrived, every one else was already there with pieces of paper in their hands.

"How nice of you to join us." McGonagall forced in a clipped tone.

"You're most welcome." Lucinda replied sarcastically.

"We considered not coming but decided..." Tanya pitched in

"What the hell." Blaise finished. Tanya glared. Lucinda and Draco exchanged a glance. Lucinda chuckled and took the closest seat to the door. Draco sat beside her, enveloping her in his arms. Tanya glanced at them pointedly with contempt and disgust evident in her scarlet eyes as she took a seat beside them, Blaise sitting on the floor on Tanya's right, as there were no more seats left. McGonagall appeared a little flustered. The head girl, some Ravenclaw slut, handed them four sheets of paper each. The top piece had a set of rules they had to sign. The second piece had a table on it with numbers down one side; again they had to sign the paper. The third was a booklet. And the fourth had the details of the families they were staying with, the school they would be attending and their travel details.

"Now, as I was saying, you will all be required to be at the London Airport by 8 am on the twenty-ninth of this month. Your flight leaves a 9:35. Check in is 45 minutes before take off and we, we being Professor Dumbledore and I, wish to do a roll call before we check our bags in and take off. We will land in Sydney, Australia, and be joined by many other witches and wizards. All forty three of us will then fly on to Melbourne and bus from Melbourne airport and then board a bus and travel the four hours by bus to Finley. Once we have arrived there we will be greeted by the principle, the teaching deputy principle and the families at the school which you will be attending. Any questions?" McGonagall paused to take a breath.

"You mean to say we only have six days to explain to our families that we will be moving to Australia, which by the way is really dry and I hear it hardly ever rains making it horrible conditions for my hair and skin, for a whole year and living with filth and learning their filthy ways and being taught by the filth and missing out on a year of our magical education, which might I add is way more important than supposed integration with a whole country of filth??" Draco asked incredulously, talking fast to try and get what he wanted to say out in one breath.

"I think that's exactly what she means bub." Lucinda said softly, gently rubbing Draco's exposed forearm in soothing circles.

"Could you get any more vain?" Seairah asked angrily, throwing herself to her feet. Lucinda responded by also rising.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You spend twelve times longer in the bathroom than Draco does you whore!"

"I'm the whore? I'M THE WHORE?!? WHO'S BEEN IN THIS GOD FORSAKEN SCHOOL FOR LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES AND ALREADY SHACKED UP WITH THE FIRST MALE SHE LAID HER EYES ON?!? IT'S JUST A BONUS THAT HE HAPPENS TO BE RICH!"

"HEY, I LOVE DRACO!! I KNOW THE CONCEPT OF LOVE IS FOREIGN TO YOU HAILEY BUT SOME OF US POSSESS EMOTIONS!!! AND IT'S NOT A BONUS THAT HE'S RICH BECAUSE I'M RICH!! AND I'M RATHER PISSED OFF BECAUSE IF THIS STUPID THING WASN'T BEING RUN THEN I'D BE MARRIED BY THE LAST DAY OF THIS MONTH SO JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!"

"SO DID HE PROPOSE OR WAS IT AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE?!? AND I DO TO POSSESS EMOTIONS UNLIKE YOU. YOU KNOW, YOU CONVINCED SO MANY GUYS BACK AT NPMA THAT YOU LOVED THEM! I REALLY CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE PULLING THAT TRICK ON HIM! HIM OF ALL PEOPLE!!! YOU COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER!!"

"SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH YOU DISGUSTING HALFBLOOD!!"

"SO NOW YOUR BRINGING MY HERITAGE INTO THIS?!? HOW LOW HAVE YOU SLID?!?!" Seairah yelled, breathing hard, her eyes welling with tears.

"SHUT UP!! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH DRACO!! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DRACO AND YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!! YOU THINK YOU DO BUT YOU JUST DON'T!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!! AND STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE!!" Lucinda screamed, ripping the door of the compartment off its hinges and storming out of the room and down the hallway, her robes billowing around her legs. Draco looked at the splintered remains of the door.

"I'm sorry Professor. She's normally so level headed. I guess filth brings out the worst in her." Draco sneered as he carefully picked his way through the wood splinters and followed Lucinda's path back to their compartment.

"If filth brings out the worst in her, than why the hell is she with him?" Seairah said loudly eliciting a rise in both Tanya and Blaise.

"Shut your mouth halfblood. Or I'll shut it for you." Blaise scowled.

"Is that a threat?" Seairah smirked. It didn't have the desired effect.

"No slut. It's a promise. You heard her. You stay the fucking hell away from her or you'll have more than a hormonal teenage wizard to worry about. And unlike Blaise or Draco, I won't hesitate to rip your throat out. Am I in anyway unclear?" Tanya hissed getting threateningly close to Seairah, causing her to take a step back. As Seairah stepped back, Tanya stepped forward, Seairah's back hit the wall of the carriage.

"I asked you a question. Am I in anyway unclear?" Tanya hissed, getting very close to Seairah's face. Seairah shook her head quickly.

"Good. Come Blaise. I'm hungry." Tanya muttered wearily, rubbing her throat, coughing dryly. Professor McGonagall just sat there and watched the scene unfold in front of her, frozen. Tanya and Blaise exited the carriage in silence, leaving the rest of the carriage in a quivering silence.

"What the hell happened in there?" Tanya demanded as she re-entered the carriage.

"I lost it. Okay? I lost my temper. She was mouthing off about things she knows nothing about."

"She sent a very poorly constructed insult at Draco. That was it!" Tanya stated exasperated.

"You don't know what she's been saying. You don't know what she's been doing."

"Then please, Lucinda. Enlighten me. Because Merlin only knows that I am sick to death of these angry outbursts of yours. You lose your temper and then walk away and leave me to clean up the mess! I'm over it Lucinda! I'm so over it."

"You don't have to clean up after me. I think we kinda clean up after each other."

"True that. So tell me what she's done that's got you so pissed off?"

"She's been digging."

"So shoot the woman for digging a hole."

"No. Shoot the woman for digging into my past and family. The Golden Fuck Tarts have finally put the pieces together that these murders weren't random death eater attacks."

"Okay. Let's shoot her. Actually, no. Let's torture her. Let's torture her to the brink of death and then mutilate her. Then brand her with the dark mark. And then kill her. But kill her in the most painful way possible." Tanya's scarlet eyes had taken on an eerie glow.

"Have you eaten much these last couple of weeks T?" Lucinda asked, muttering a spell to change the colour of her eyes back to their normal stormy blue. They came out more of an aquamarine colour and the red glow wouldn't go away.

"Not much. Why?" Tanya asked worriedly. Lucinda just gestured towards her own eyes which were only rimmed in red. _Oh shit. Do you think anyone noticed? _Tanya freaked out in their mental connection. _Not much I don't think. How did you forget to feed this morning?_ Lucinda asked incredulously. _I didn't. I was stalking food and a stupid Hufflepuff couple came blundering through the forest cutting right in front of me. It was disgusting I tell you. I could have hurled._ Lucinda merely smiled and shook her head, not making a reply.

"FIFO!!" Blaise screamed, thirty minutes later, causing Draco to jump violently. Tanya turned her head lazily while Lucinda's head whipped in Blaise's general direction. He was back in the luggage racks.

"Pardon me?" Lucinda asked, fighting the urge to drag him out of the luggage racks and beat him round the head until he either bled or became unconscious.

"FIFO!!!" Blaise yelled, looking at her through the bars of the luggage racks, grinning insanely.

"What she meant was: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ON ABOUT?" Tanya screamed at him.

"Or, coincidentally, what does fifo mean?" Draco asked, trying to fix his ruined picture.

"Fifo means first in first out." Blaise explained, annoyed.

"You do realise that could be taken one of two ways." Lucinda said faintly, obviously distracted.

"Yeah probably." Blaise muttered as the train screeched to a stop, throwing Blaise bodily from the luggage racks for the second time in as many hours.

"Home sweet home here I come!" Lucinda sang as she jumped down from the train, her arm looped with Draco's, Tanya and Blaise walking beside them.


End file.
